The Role of Blood Pressure in Cardiovascular Disease
High blood pressure is usually a silent disease. For most people, there may be no sign or symptoms that you have it. However, increased pressure on the walls of the blood vessels can damage these vessels, and the increased work that the heart must do in order to pump blood at an increased pressure can lead to an unhealthy enlargement of the heart muscle.
Long-standing untreated high blood pressure can result in angina, a heart attack, or damage to the heart, which can lead to abnormal heart rhythm and heart failure. It can also result in a stroke or damage to the kidneys or the eyes. The good news is that lowering blood pressure has benefits. A decrease of 10/5 mm Hg (through medication or a change in lifestyle) can reduce your risk of serious complications such as stroke, heart failure and heart attack.
You can learn more about blood pressure and its link to cardiovascular disease at www.hypertension.ca
