According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure is the number 1 modifiable risk factor for stroke and approximately 21.3.% of people with hypertension do not know they have the condition. It can lead to a plethora of health problems such as heart attack, stroke, vascular dementia, angina, heart failure, kidney failure, peripheral arterial disease, aneurysm and it can even make blood vessels in the eyes burst or bleed.
High blood pressure facts:
- In 2005, high blood pressure was reported as a primary or contributing cause of death for 319,000 Americans.
- It is estimated that nearly 1 in every 3 Americans has high blood pressure and that nearly one billion people are affected worldwide.
- Approximately 90% of middle-age adults are expected to develop high blood pressure during their lifetime.
- It is estimated that a 2mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure in the population would result in a 6% reduction in mortality from stroke, 4% from coronary heart disease and a 3% decrease in overall mortality.
In patients with high blood pressure, the heart often has to work extra hard to produce adequate blood flow and this increase in stress on the heart can cause it to enlarge over time. The added pressure on the artery walls can also cause damage to the endothelium making it easier for plaque and cholesterol to build up and narrow the artery. High blood pressure is especially dangerous because most of the time is has no symptoms, earning it the nickname of “The Silent Killer”.
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