High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is blood pressure that is higher than normal. Your blood pressure changes throughout the day based on your activities. Having blood pressure measures consistently above normal may result in a diagnosis of high blood pressure (or hypertension).
The higher your blood pressure levels, the more risk you have for other health problems, such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Continue reading from CDC
The primary way that high blood pressure causes harm is by increasing the workload of the heart and blood vessels — making them work harder and less efficiently.
Over time, the force and friction of high blood pressure damages the delicate tissues inside the arteries. In turn, LDL (bad) cholesterol forms plaque along tiny tears in the artery walls, signifying the start of atherosclerosis.
The more the plaque and damage increases, the narrower (smaller) the insides of the arteries become — raising blood pressure and starting a vicious circle that further harms your arteries, heart and the rest of your body. This can ultimately lead to other conditions ranging from arrhythmia to heart attack and stroke. Continue reading from American Heart Association
High Blood Pressure (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
High Blood Pressure: Hypertension (Mayo Clinic)
High Blood Pressure / Hypertension (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
High Blood Pressure (Medline Plus)
More Than 700 Million People with Untreated Hypertension (World Health Organization)
American Heart Association Support Network (American Heart Association)
