Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is considered a "silent killer" due to its effects on the body that can increase the risk of serious events such as heart attack or stroke, often without symptoms. High blood pressure can develop over many years and can involve almost anybody; fortunately, it is easily detected. Once a diagnosis of hypertension is made, there are many medications that can be employed to control disease progression.
Stroke
Stroke, also known as a cerebrovascular event, is the third most common cause of death in the United States and is the most crippling complication of hypertension. In fact, the risk of stroke is increased more than double in patients with definite diagnosis of hypertension, according to "Brenner and Rector's The Kidney" textbook. The effects of a stroke vary with its severity, but may include cognitive deficits, difficulties with movement, paralysis, altered sensations, speech problems and swallowing difficulties.
Cardiovascular Disease
Hypertension results in the heart's pumping blood against an increased pressure in the blood vessels; this increased work for the heart can result in enlargement. Often, the left ventricle portion of the heart enlarges the most as it is the portion of the heart primarily responsible for pumping blood into the body. The enlarged portion of the heart also requires additional blood supply to feed it, which can result in a heart attack when the demand for oxygen exceeds available blood supply. Heart failure can also result from chronically increased blood pressure. If blood pressure is high enough, the heart may fail to empty it's blood volume into the arteries, resulting in accumulation of blood in the heart. This causes blood flow to the body to decrease. In addition, the accumulation of blood in the heart can "back up" into other organs like the lungs, causing further damage. Hypertension can damage the arteries, resulting in cholesterol plaque deposition that can further narrow the blood vessels, worsening the hypertension. The plaques can also dislodge and block blood flow to an artery downstream, resulting in decreased blood flow to the organ system that the artery supplies. This is can result in heart attack, stroke or damage to any organ being supplied.
Kidney Disease
Hypertension can be a consequence and cause of kidney disease. Kidney disease results in decreased excretion of volume into the urine, resulting in an increased fluid volume in the blood circulation. This can be a direct cause of increased blood pressure. In addition, hypertension can cause direct damage or decreased blood supply to the kidneys, also causing kidney disease. Over the long term, kidney disease is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and can lead to kidney failure according, to "Brenner and Rector's The Kidney" textbook. Dialysis may eventually become necessary if kidney function totally fails.
References
- "Brenner and Rector's The Kidney, 8th Edition;" Brenner; 2007
- "Medical Clinics of North America: Target organ involvement in hypertension: A realistic promise of prevention and reversal"; E.D. Frohlich; Volume 88, January 2004
