THE EFFECTS OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Persistent high blood pressure damages the cardiovascular system – the heart and blood vessels. This system may be compared to a tree. The largest artery – the aorta – is the trunk. The aorta carries blood from the heart to be distributed by branch arteries to all parts of the body. The smallest arteries, called arterioles, are the twigs. The walls of the arterioles are normally elastic, but under sustained high blood pressure they harden and lose their flexibility. This may happen naturally with age, but high blood pressure hastens the process. To overcome this resistance, the heart pumps harder and in time is unable to keep up with the demands made upon it. The hardening of the arteries also increases the likelihood that a blood clot will interfere with the normal flow of blood to the heart, brain, kidney, or other organ. The result may be one of the disabling and often fatal complications of high blood pressure – a heart attack, a stroke, or kidney failure.
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