The risk for developing congestive heart failure is also significantly higher with increased blood pressure. Animal studies have indicated that when heart cells enlarge in response to high blood pressure, they undergo molecular changes that cause an abnormal release of calcium, a mineral crucial for healthy heart contractions. This defect appears to be irreversible, so detecting and reducing high blood pressure as soon as possible an extremely important preventive measure. Hypertension also increases the elimination of calcium in urine that may lead to loss of bone mineral density, a significant risk factor for fractures particularly in elderly women. It is often caused by medications that treat high blood pressure, but there are indications that the disorder itself may impair sexual function.
Impotence related to hypertension is treatable.
A study found that women with high blood pressure, regardless of medications, found it difficult to achieve sexual satisfaction and had impaired vaginal lubrication. Studies indicate, however, that controlling blood pressure may help ward off memory loss to begin with and treating blood pressure in older patients with elevated systolic pressure can reduce their risk of dementia. Pregnancy and Preeclampsia Severe, sudden high blood pressure in pregnant women caused by a condition called preeclampsia can be very serious for both mother and child. According to one report women with existing hypertension are at higher risk for preeclampsia if they have high diastolic blood pressure, high blood pressure for at least 4 years, or have had preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy. New research suggests that this condition may be caused by a failure of the placenta to embed properly in the uterus, which causes it to misconnect with the mother's blood vessels.