The Complications of High Blood Pressure

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated. Normal blood pressure at rest is within the range of 100-140mmHg systolic (top reading) and 60-90mmHg diastolic (bottom reading). High blood pressure is said to be present if it is persistently at or above 140/90 mmHg. High blood pressure places stress on several organs (called target organs), including the kidneys, eyes, and heart, causing them to deteriorate over time. High blood pressure contributes to 75% of all strokes and heart attacks.

You can have HBP for years without knowing it. During this time, the condition can damage your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of your body. Some people only learn that they have hypertension after the damage has caused problems, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, or kidney failure. The higher your blood pressure and the longer it goes uncontrolled, the greater the damage. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to:

• Heart attack or stroke: High blood pressure can cause hardening and thickening of the arteries, which can lead to a heart attack, stroke or other complications. 
• Aneurysm: Increased blood pressure can cause blood vessels to weaken and bulge, forming an aneurysm. If an aneurysm ruptures, it can be life-threatening. 
• Heart failure: To pump blood against the higher pressure in blood vessels, the heart muscle thickens. Eventually, the thickened muscle may have a hard time pumping enough blood to meet your body's needs, which can lead to heart failure. 
• Kidney failure: Weakened and narrowed blood vessels in kidneys. This can prevent these organs from functioning normally. 
• Vision loss: Thickened, narrowed or torn blood vessels in the eyes. This can result in vision loss. 
• Metabolic syndrome: This syndrome is a cluster of disorders of body's metabolism — including increased waist circumference, high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high insulin levels. If you have high blood pressure, you're more likely to have other components of metabolic syndrome. The more components you have, the greater your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease or stroke. 
• Trouble with memory or understanding: Uncontrolled high blood pressure may also affect the ability to think, remember and learn. Trouble with memory or understanding concepts is more common in people who have high blood pressure.

So check your blood pressure regularly, do proper blood tests and keep these complications out of bay.