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5 Ways Your High Blood Pressure Can Cause Heart Attacks And Stroke
High blood pressure, often called the "silent killer," affects millions worldwide, quietly damaging vital organs until serious complications arise. Understanding how this condition leads to heart attacks and strokes can motivate better health management. Here's how high blood pressure threatens your cardiovascular system.
Arterial damage and plaque buildupHigh blood pressure exerts excessive force against artery walls, causing them to thicken and lose elasticity. This damage creates perfect conditions for fatty deposits, or plaque, to accumulate within the walls – a condition called atherosclerosis.
As arteries narrow, blood flow to vital organs decreases. When this affects coronary arteries, it can trigger heart attacks. In brain arteries, it raises stroke risk. Research shows that every 20-point increase in systolic blood pressure doubles the risk of cardiovascular events.
Blood clot formationDamaged blood vessels from sustained high blood pressure create ideal conditions for blood clots. These clots pose immediate dangers when they block critical blood flow.
A clot in coronary arteries can cause immediate heart attack symptoms: chest pain, shortness of breath, and arm numbness. When traveling to the brain, clots trigger strokes, leading to sudden weakness, confusion, or speech problems.
Heart muscle deteriorationConstant high blood pressure forces the heart to work harder, causing the left ventricle to thicken. While this initially helps manage extra pressure, it eventually weakens the heart muscle.
Signs of strain
High blood pressure can trigger atrial fibrillation (AFib), a dangerous irregular heartbeat that significantly increases stroke risk. Blood pooling in the heart during AFib episodes forms clots that may travel to the brain.
Studies show AFib patients with uncontrolled blood pressure face five times higher stroke risk than those with normal blood pressure. These strokes tend to be more severe, often causing permanent disability.
Reduced brain blood flowChronic high blood pressure restricts blood supply to the brain, potentially causing mini-strokes or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). These warning signs indicate severe strain on brain vessels.
Warning signals
Managing high blood pressure requires consistent attention to lifestyle factors and medical guidance. Research shows that reducing systolic blood pressure by just 10 points can cut heart attack and stroke risk by 20%.
Essential prevention steps
Diet modifications
Focus on the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension):
Regular medical check-ups help track blood pressure trends and adjust treatment plans. Discuss any side effects from medications promptly, as alternative options often exist.
Keep detailed records of blood pressure readings, noting time of day and circumstances. This information helps doctors identify patterns and optimize treatment strategies.
Looking aheadHigh blood pressure's effects accumulate silently over time, but taking action today can significantly reduce future risks. Research indicates that proper management can add 5-10 years of healthy life expectancy.
Understanding these five pathways of damage emphasizes why controlling blood pressure matters. With consistent attention to lifestyle factors and medical guidance, you can protect your cardiovascular health and maintain quality of life for years to come.
Remember that high blood pressure management is a marathon, not a sprint. Small, sustained changes in daily habits often prove more effective than dramatic short-term measures. Your commitment to controlling blood pressure today builds a foundation for better health tomorrow.
This story was created using AI technology.
Two Little-known Signs Of Dangerous High Blood Pressure To Spot In The Face
Dr Chris Steele shares diet tips on reducing blood pressureHealth bodies have warned of two little-known signs on the face that could indicate a potentially dangerous health issue. Around one third of all adults in the UK are thought to be living with high blood pressure.
Also known as hypertension, it means that the heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body.
As a result it is a factor in many serious health conditions and illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, strokes, heart failure and heart attacks.
Although it is a fairly common condition, it can often go by unnoticed and undiagnosed until it causes a serious medical emergency with around one in two hypertensive people not even realising they have it.
This is partly due to the fact that it rarely displays symptoms. In fact, Public Health England dubbed high blood pressure as a "silent killer" for this reason.
And the British Heart Foundation (BHF) says: "High blood pressure rarely has noticeable symptoms.
"Many people with high blood pressure feel fine. But even if you feel fine, you should still have your blood pressure checked regularly."
However, there are some warning signs that affect some people.
Find out about the symptoms you need to watch out for and get health advice with our free health newsletter from the Daily Express
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) two such signs can appear on the face - nosebleeds and blurry vision - however, these are mainly likely in people with "very high" blood pressure.
NosebleedsThe NHS also says that nosebleeds are more likely to occur in people with high blood pressure.
However, there is some debate around whether nosebleeds are directly caused by having high blood pressure.
In an article, Medical Associates of North Texas say this is "debatable". They said: "While most experts believe that hypertension alone doesn't cause nosebleeds unless your blood pressure is extremely high, it can damage the blood vessels inside your nose, making bleeding more likely.
"Some recent research has found that hypertension may increase your risk of more severe nosebleeds."
One study, from 2020, found that people with high blood pressure were 2.7 times more likely to need emergency care for nosebleeds than people with healthy blood pressure.
And a separate study, from 2015, measured the blood pressure of 80 people over three months and found that half the participants experienced regular nosebleeds.
Researchers concluded that high blood pressure did not cause nosebleeds, but the bleeding was more difficult to control in people with hypertension.
Blurred visionThe WHO says blurred vision or other vision changes can occur in people with blood pressure that is 180/120 or higher.
This is because high blood pressure can harm the many tiny blood vessels in your eyes.
The American Heart Association says the following vision problems can occur in people with hypertension:
It adds: "High blood pressure may increase the risk of developing other eye conditions such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, which can cause vision impairment or blindness if left untreated."
The BHF lists other signs of high blood pressure as:
However, the only way to be sure if you have high blood pressure is to be tested, either by your GP or using an at-home kit.
What Causes Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH) And How To Treat It
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an increase in the mass (weight) of the left ventricle, which is the heart's main pumping chamber. LVH develops either when the force or volume of blood within the ventricle becomes excessive. Common conditions that cause LVH are high blood pressure and aortic stenosis (a heart valve disease).
Since LVH often manifests silently over many years, it's frequently diagnosed through a routine electrocardiogram (ECG). LVH can usually be reduced or reversed by treating the underlying cause, which entails adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors and taking medication or undergoing surgery.
Illustration by Zoe Hansen for Verywell Health
What Causes Anatomical Changes in LVH? The left ventricle is one of the heart's four chambers. It pumps oxygen-rich blood into the aorta, the largest artery in the body that delivers blood to vital organs. Over time, the left ventricle undergoes natural remodeling, a process influenced by non-modifiable factors like normal aging and ethnicity and modifiable risk factors like high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome (a group of conditions that occur together to increase risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease). Left ventricular hypertrophy is a type of heart-related remodeling that involves an increase in the mass of the left ventricle. LVH is a response to one or both of the following: Blood pressure overload within the LV causes an increase in wall thickness. Blood volume overload within the LV ventricle causes an increase in the chamber size. Associated Conditions Two of the most common causes of LVH are: Hypertension is when blood's force, or impact, on artery walls is too high. Hypertension creates increased pressure within the left ventricle, causing the heart muscle to thicken as it works extra hard to pump blood into the aorta. Aortic stenosis narrows the aortic valve, interfering with blood flowing from the left ventricle into the aorta. The increased pressure within the left ventricle causes the walls to thicken. Other causes of LVH include: Aortic regurgitation is when the aortic valve leaks, causing blood to reverse its flow (in the wrong direction) back into the left ventricle. Mitral regurgitation occurs when the mitral valve leaks, causing blood to reverse its flow (in the wrong direction) back into the left atrium (the upper chamber above the left ventricle). Dilated cardiomyopathy is characterized by stretching and enlargement of the ventricles (usually starting in the left and spreading to the right). Possible causes of this condition are coronary artery disease, alcohol, and infection. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a condition that runs in families and is characterized by thickening of the walls of the left ventricle. This condition is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young individuals and competitive athletes in North America. A ventricular septal defect is a hole in the wall between the right and left ventricles. It's the most common congenital (present at birth) heart disease. With a large VSD, blood wrongly flows from the left to the right ventricle, overwhelming the lung arteries and the left side of the heart. The left ventricle increases in size to compensate for the extra blood. An "athlete's heart" refers to heart-related changes in athletes that manifest as an adaptation to intense physical training. Even though these heart-related changes can meet the criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy, they are considered harmless, as they differ pathologically from those caused by high blood pressure, for example. Symptoms and Onset Left ventricular hypertrophy usually causes no symptoms for many years. Over time, as the left ventricle thickens and/or enlarges, the heart muscle becomes weaker and stiffer and is unable to pump blood very well. Left-sided heart failure may then occur, causing the following symptoms: How Serious Is LVH? LVH is a concerning finding because it indicates that a person's heart is working harder than usual. Depending on the severity of the LVH and its cause, the heart may not be pumping blood efficiently. In addition to heart failure, LVH is associated with the following complications: ECG Findings An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), which assesses the heart's electrical activity, is a readily available tool to detect LVH. During an ECG, a person lies on a bed or table, and small, sticky pads are strategically positioned on the chest, arms, and legs. Wires attach the pads to a machine, translating the heart's electrical activity onto paper. The paper is divided into large and small boxes to calculate time and distance. The heart's electrical activity appears like wavy, spiky lines on the paper. These lines consist of the following three parts: The P wave represents blood being pumped from the atria (the heart's upper chambers) into the ventricles (the heart's lower chambers). The QRS complex consists of three waves and represents blood being pumped out of the heart (into the lungs or the aorta). The T wave represents the ventricles relaxing before the above "pumping blood" cycle repeats itself. Many different criteria for ECG findings in LVH have been developed, although five general findings of LVH are: An elevation of the QRS voltage (height of the waves) occurs because there are more muscle fibers within the left ventricle for the electrical signals to travel through. The QRS complex widens because electrical signals travel a longer path within the left ventricle. Left axis deviation occurs because the direction of the electrical activity moving through the heart is distorted towards the left. ST changes occur when electrical signals move differently through the left ventricle due to its remodeling. This finding can mimic that seen with an ST-elevation ("STEMI") heart attack (when an artery that feeds the heart muscle is completely blocked). Left atrial abnormality is seen with thickening, widening, or both of the left atrium, occurring as a response to chronic left ventricular hypertrophy. Keep in mind that while an ECG is a reasonable "first-step" tool for identifying LVH and eventually monitoring LVH, imaging tests can more accurately diagnose the condition and its underlying cause. These imaging tests include: An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart muscle. It uses sound waves to visualize the heart's size, shape, thickness, movement, pumping ability, and how well the valves are working. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce three-dimensional images of the heart. It offers a more precise evaluation of left ventricle structure and function than an echocardiogram. Does Treatment Reverse LVH? Depending on the cause, LVH can be reduced or reversed—a term called LVH regression. For example, if LVH is caused by high blood pressure, lowering the blood pressure can lead to LVH regression. Even better, research suggests that LVH regression improves cardiovascular prognosis with intensive blood pressure lowering, specifically maintaining a blood pressure lower than 120/80 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury). Classes of medications used to lower blood pressure include: Similarly, if LVH is caused by a heart valve problem, like aortic stenosis, surgery to repair or replace the valve may be performed to achieve LVH regression and improve the heart's functioning. Bottom Line: LVH Regression Improves Prognosis Achieving LVH regression through medication or surgery decreases the risk of severe complications like heart attack and stroke. Importance of Lifestyle Changes and Habits If you or a loved one has LVH, treatment is directed at managing or fixing the underlying cause. While medication and/or surgery may be indicated, adopting heart-healthy lifestyle behaviors also plays a key role. Heart-healthy behaviors include: Maintaining a healthy weight Exercising (under the guidance of a healthcare provider if you have heart/lung/joint or other health problems) Eating heart-healthy foods like fruits and vegetables and limiting excess salt Avoiding smoking and limiting or avoiding alcohol Appropriately managing causes of underlying LVH causes (e.G., taking high blood pressure medication as instructed) Summary Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an increase in the weight of the left ventricle due to thickening of the left ventricle walls, an increase in space within the left ventricle, or both. The two most common causes of LVH are high blood pressure and aortic stenosis (a heart valve disease). LVH symptoms are usually silent for years until the heart weakens and stops pumping blood efficiently. Once the left heart begins to fail, symptoms like trouble breathing, chest pain, fatigue, and dizziness develop. LVH can be diagnosed with an electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart), or a cardiac MRI (three-dimensional images of the heart), usually before symptoms even develop. LVH can often be fixed by treating the underlying cause—for example, intensively lowering high blood pressure or repairing/replacing a faulty aortic valve. Engaging in heart-healthy habits like weight loss if overweight or having obesity and staying physically active are also essential to maintaining a structurally and functionally healthy left ventricle. If underlying causes of LVH are not addressed, potentially life-threatening problems may develop, like heart attack, stroke, or abnormal heart rhythms.
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