Blood pressure, the measure of the force of blood against the artery walls, is an important indicator of overall health. One in three adults in the United States suffer from high blood pressure (known as hypertension), as reported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Many of them are unaware of their condition so it is important to know your blood pressure readings. Those with good blood pressure, which is a systolic reading of less than 120 mm Hg and a diastolic reading of less than 80 mm Hg, according to the American Heart Association, have a number of health advantages.
Decreased Risk of Coronary Heart Disease
High blood pressure increases the risk for coronary artery disease, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Those with high blood pressure have an increased force of blood against the artery walls, which over time causes damage to the arteries. These damaged areas attract fatty tissue deposits, known as plaque, to form, causing the arteries to harden and narrow. This contributes further to the high blood pressure and when it occurs in the arteries leading to the heart it decreases the flow of blood into the heart. The resulting condition is coronary artery disease, or coronary heart disease, which is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States as reported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.
Decreased Risk of Heart Attack
Decreased blood flow into the heart means that the heart is receiving less oxygen-rich blood. This can lead to angina, also known as chest pain. When the blood flow into the heart is completely blocked, the result is a heart attack.
Decreased Risk of Stroke
Stroke is a condition that occurs when the brain begins to die due to a lack of blood and oxygen. The American Heart Institute reports that stroke is the third leading cause of severe and long-term disability and maintaining good blood pressure can help to reduce the risk of stroke.
High blood pressure damages the blood vessels, causing them to narrow. When the blood vessels leading to the brain are damaged, the blood flow to the brain can be blocked, leading to an ischemic stroke. In addition, the damaged blood vessels can become weak and when a weak spot in a vessel near the brain ruptures, a hemorrhagic stroke occurs.
Decreased Risk of Kidney Disease
High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of end-stage kidney disease, also known as kidney failure, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. As the increased blood pressure causes damage to the blood vessels in the kidney the kidney loses function.
The kidneys are responsible for removing waste and excess fluids from the body. When the kidneys are not able to function effectively, wastes can build up, causing fatigue and excess fluids to remain in the body, causing edema (swelling). This excess fluid also increases the volume of blood, which further increases blood pressure as the heart has to pump harder to move the larger volume throughout the body. This is a dangerous cycle as decreased kidney function contributes to high blood pressure and high blood pressure damages the kidneys further.
References
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: What is High Blood Pressure?
- American Heart Association: Understanding Blood Pressure Readings
- The Cleveland Clinic: High Blood Pressure and Heart Attack
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: What is Coronary Artery Disease?
- American Heart Association: Stroke
