Here's Why High Blood Pressure Is Dangerous

Blood pressure is one of the vital signs that medical providers typically monitor on an ongoing basis, and for good reason. Not only is healthy blood pressure important to the healthy operation of your body, but high blood pressure, or hypertension, can also have dangerous, even life-threatening implications.

 In this blog, our board-certified internal medicine physician Sabeen Ahmed, MD, here at Cardio Metabolic Institute gives you the lowdown on why you should pay attention to your blood pressure and how ignoring it may have serious consequences.

The link between blood pressure and your overall health

While you’re no doubt familiar with how blood pressure is taken and that it’s measured in two numbers, do you know how healthy blood pressure is connected to your overall health? It all comes down to your body’s reliance on nutrient-rich blood.

Every cell, tissue and organ in your body needs nutrient-rich blood to execute its role in the healthy operation of your body. When your blood pressure is in the normal range — a reading of less than 120 (systolic pressure) and less than 80 (diastolic pressure) — your blood can flow freely throughout your body without taxing your heart too much.

That means that there’s enough force or pressure inside your blood vessels to push or move blood from the heart to the lungs where it receives oxygen. And sufficient pressure is again required to deliver oxygenated blood through your arteries to the rest of your body to keep it operating optimally.

The operative word here is “sufficient.” If the pressure or force inside your blood vessels becomes excessive, you have high blood pressure and your heart is working overtime to do its job. This scenario sets up a perfect storm for damaging, narrowing, or completely blocking your blood vessels, which may lead to heart attack or stroke. 

One out of three people don’t know they have high blood pressure

Remarkably, high blood pressure affects about half of the adult US population, or 116 million Americans. As surprising as that may be, the really staggering statistic is that 33% of the people who suffer from high blood pressure aren’t treated for the condition because they don’t know they have it.

Unlike other medical issues, high blood pressure rarely has any pronounced symptoms, which is why it’s often called the silent killer. Many people with undiagnosed high blood pressure don’t discover that they have the condition until their doctor diagnoses a secondary medical problem like cardiovascular or kidney disease or a stubborn leg ulcer that won’t heal.

High blood pressure can have serious, life-threatening implications

Untreated high blood pressure can lead to a number of serious medical conditions or even death. In fact, high blood pressure is the No.1 cause of stroke and heart disease because it can damage, narrow and block arteries and blood vessels. 

Sadly, each year in the United States stroke and heart disease cause more deaths than all types of cancer and respiratory diseases like COPD, emphysema, and asthma combined.

 But high blood pressure’s health implications don’t stop at blood vessels. High blood pressure can damage your brain, heart, eyes, and kidneys. Uncontrolled, hypertension can ultimately lead to vision loss, kidney disease, and even put you at a higher risk for vascular dementia.

Know your numbers and seek treatment

Despite these sobering facts, the good news is that high blood pressure is treatable. Paying attention to your numbers and getting treatment are great first steps. At Cardio Metabolic Institute, our highly experienced team of doctors and medical professionals create personalized treatment plans.

 We fine-tune our approach to your treatment based on the severity of your condition as well as lifestyle factors like diet and activity level, which may be playing a role in your high blood pressure. 

A typical plan may include medication and recommended lifestyle changes. We even provide nutrition counseling with a registered dietician, if needed. We know that change can be difficult, but getting your blood pressure under control may literally save your life.

 If you’re concerned about high blood pressure, schedule an evaluation with Dr. Ahmed. Contact Cardio Metabolic Institute by calling the location near you — in East Brunswick, Edison, Somerset, or Monroe Township, New Jersey — or make your appointment online today. Our caring team is committed to helping you live a healthy and productive life.