High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease: What You Need to Know

Blood pressure is the pressure that occurs when blood pushes against the walls of your arteries. Arteries carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is blood pressure that is higher than normal.  High blood pressure is consistently at or above 130/80 mm Hg.

Your blood pressure changes throughout the day based on your activities. Having blood pressure consistently above normal may result in a diagnosis of high blood pressure. The higher your blood pressure levels, the more risk you have for other health problems, such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

High blood pressure can damage your arteries by making them less elastic. This decreases the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart and leads to heart disease. In addition, decreased blood flow to the heart can cause:

• Chest pain, also called angina.
• Heart attack, which happens when the blood supply to your heart is blocked and heart muscle begins to die without enough oxygen. The longer the blood flow is blocked, the greater the damage to the heart.
• Heart failure, a condition that means your heart can't pump enough blood and oxygen to your other organs.

When blood pressure is high for too long, it can damage the walls of blood vessels, causing them to develop tiny tears. To fix these damaged areas, the body sends special cells that stick to the site. Over time, substances like cholesterol and fats may also build up at these damaged spots, forming plaque.

As plaque slowly builds, a process called atherosclerosis, it can make the inside of the arteries narrower and block the flow of blood to the heart. Blood flow can also become blocked if the plaque ruptures or breaks off and forms a clot. When blood flow is blocked (by either plaque buildup or a clot), that part of the heart doesn’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs. When this happens, it’s called a heart attack.