Blood Pressure

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Heart Failure

78.     Over the years, as arteries narrow and become less elastic as a result of hypertension, it gets harder and harder for the heart to pump blood efficiently to the rest of the body. The increased workload eventually damages the heart and impairs its performance. Fluid collects in the lungs, causing shortness of breath. This is called “heart failure” or “congestive cardiac failure”.

Brain Stroke

79.     The narrowing of an artery that carries blood and oxygen to the brain can lead to a temporary loss of function in the part of the brain served by that artery. This is known as “transient ischaemic attack”. Permanent blocking of the artery with a blood clot results in the death of the part of the brain reliant on that artery, which results in a stroke.

Kidney Failure

80.     More than 20% of the blood pumped by our heart goes to the kidneys. Tiny filtering structures in our kidneys, called “nephrons”, filter out waste products from our blood, which are later excreted along with the urine. Kidneys control the balance of minerals, acids and water in our blood. High BP interferes with this intricate process. When blood vessels in our kidneys become weak and get narrowed due to high BP, blood flow to the nephrons is reduced and our kidneys can not eliminate all the waste products from our blood. Over a period of time, waste can build up in our blood and our kidneys can shrink, resulting in impaired functioning. High BP is the most common cause of kidney failures.

Eye Damage

81.     The small blood vessels in the eyes can be affected by high BP, although this may not become apparent until damage is extensive. Rarely, in severe hypertension, there may be damage to the retina with haemorrhages.

Pain in Calf Muscles

82.     Smaller blood vessels in the legs can be damaged due to high BP, resulting in less blood getting to the feet, and causing pain in the calf muscles on walking.