Consequences of Persistently Elevated Blood Pressure
The consequences of high blood pressure - hypertension - are often underestimated. Risks include stroke, heart attack, and sudden cardiac death, which pose not only serious but even life-threatening secondary diseases. However, it is not just the heart and brain that are affected. Under permanently high pressure, the vessels throughout the body suffer.
About 20 million people in Germany suffer from high blood pressure. In the group of individuals over 55 years old, every second person is affected by high blood pressure. Approximately 40 percent of all deaths in Germany are attributed to cardiovascular diseases. High blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for developing these conditions.
The crux of high blood pressure is that it initially causes no symptoms. Pain or noticeable abnormalities only occur when damage has already occurred. The diagnosis is therefore usually made incidentally during a routine examination by a doctor. The affected individual is advised by the doctor to change certain aspects of their lifestyle, pay attention to their diet, and exercise more. In some cases, medications are prescribed immediately. However, it is difficult for many people to make changes and take the tablets as prescribed, as there is no sense of urgency.
For it is not only the directly life-threatening secondary diseases that can make life difficult for a hypertensive person. The heart must continuously pump against the increased pressure, which puts excessive strain on it and causes damage. A possible consequence is atrial fibrillation. The pressure-bearing arteries can change, harden, narrow due to arteriosclerosis, or form dangerous bulges - known as aneurysms.
The kidneys are particularly involved, as they can be both a cause of high blood pressure and a victim of it. Damage to the kidney vessels can lead to kidney failure. In the development of peripheral artery disease, medically known as pAVK, which is often referred to as "smoker's leg" in the late stages, high blood pressure plays a significant role as a risk factor.
Articles in this category:
- Consequences for Vessels
- Consequences for the Heart
- High Blood Pressure and Dementia
- High Blood Pressure and Vision
- High Blood Pressure and Kidneys
- Recognizing and Helping with Heart Attacks
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Sudden Cardiac Death
- Recognizing and Assisting Stroke
- Claudication - PAD
- Hypertensive Crisis and Hypertensive Emergency
- Erectile Dysfunction
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.
Related Articles:
- High Blood Pressure and Dementia
- High Blood Pressure and Kidneys
- High Blood Pressure and Vision
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Consequences of Persistently Elevated Blood Pressure
- Consequences for the Heart
- Consequences for Vessels
- Recognizing and Helping with Heart Attacks
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