The American Heart Association estimates that one of every three adults in the United States has hypertension, or high blood pressure--and because of the lack of symptoms, almost one-third don't realize they have it. Having your blood pressure checked on a regular basis is the only sure way to know whether you have hypertension.
Eyes
Hypertension can cause blood vessels in the eyes to narrow, thicken or tear. These conditions, in turn, can cause vision impairment such as blurring, and if left untreated may cause blindness.
Stroke
The most important risk factor in stroke is high blood pressure. Hypertension can cause a weakened blood vessel in the brain to break, causing bleeding in the brain. This, in turn, causes a stroke. Another cause of stroke attributed to hypertension is a blood clot blocking one of the arteries that have been narrowed due to high blood pressure damage.
Heart
According to the National heart, Lung and Blood Institute, pumping blood against the higher vessel pressure can cause the heart muscle to thicken. The thickened heart muscle has a harder time pumping blood to meet the needs of the body, and this leads to heart failure. Hypertension can also lead to hardening of the arteries, which in turn may cause a heart attack.
Kidneys
The Mayo Clinic states that high blood pressure can lead to narrowed and weakened blood vessels in the kidneys. Because the kidneys filter waste from the body, the narrowed blood vessels prevent proper kidney function and allow wastes to build up in the blood. Ultimately, the kidneys may fail and dialysis or a transplant may be required.
Metabolic Syndrome
According to the Mayo Clinic, hypertension can be a leading factor in developing metabolic syndrome. This is a group of symptoms that include high triglycerides, low HDL, increased waist circumference, high insulin levels and high blood pressure. This syndrome can lead to development of stroke, diabetes or heart disease.
