The Effects of High Blood Pressure on the Heart
High blood pressure also affects the pump that tirelessly supplies our body with nutrients and oxygen 24 hours a day, seven days a week - our heart.
The higher the pressure in the vessels, the more force the heart has to exert to pump blood into the circulation against this high pressure. Specifically, the left ventricle is forced to work harder, as it must deliver the output into the systemic circulation.
Since the heart is a muscle (more precisely, a hollow muscle), what happens to any other muscle under strain also happens: it grows.
The heart muscle - specifically the heart muscle fibers - thickens, and more connective tissue is formed between the muscle fibers. This causes the heart muscle to lose flexibility and become stiffer. Unlike the enlargement of the heart in an athlete's heart, in a hypertensive heart, the blood supply to the heart does not keep pace with its enlargement. Additionally, the smaller arteries that supply the heart muscle are often narrowed. The muscle cannot be adequately supplied with oxygen and nutrients. This can lead to symptoms in the form of angina pectoris, even if the larger coronary arteries do not have to be narrowed. If a vessel of the heart closes due to progressive arteriosclerosis or if a blood clot lodges here, blocking the vessel, the area supplied by the downstream vessels can no longer be supplied with nutrients and oxygen. A heart attack has occurred in this case.
In the further course, heart failure (heart muscle weakness) can develop in the hypertensive heart. The heart chambers enlarge, and the heart is no longer able to pump an adequate amount of blood from the left ventricle into the circulation. The output decreases. To compensate for this, the heart will try to pump more frequently - the heart rate increases. This, in turn, further fatigues the damaged heart. Also, arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation can arise from the influence of high blood pressure on the heart.
As the heart enlarges, the heart valve leaflets do not grow along, which can lead to insufficiency of a heart valve. This means that the valve can no longer close properly, allowing blood to flow back.
Sources:
By Sabine Croci.
This article is medically reviewed. Last updated (01/2024).
Information on the website and within the app cannot replace a consultation with a doctor, but can certainly complement it.
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