High blood pressure also increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, damage to the eyes, kidney failure, atherosclerosis and congestive heart failure. High blood pressure combined with other risks, such as obesity, smoking, high blood cholesterol or diabetes greatly increases the risk for heart attack or stroke. When high blood pressure persists without treatment, the heart must work harder to pump enough blood and oxygen to the body's organs and tissues. When the heart is over-worked for extended periods of time, the heart tends to enlarge and weaken. Arteries also suffer from elevated blood pressure, becoming scarred, hardened and less elastic over time.
Many people have high blood pressure for many years without knowing about it.
The only way to find out if your blood pressure is elevated is to have your blood pressure checked. The higher number, or systolic pressure, represents the pressure exerted when the heart is beating. The lower number, or diastolic pressure, represents the pressure exerted when the heart is at rest between beats. The systolic pressure is always stated first. If you have high blood pressure, there is a great deal you can do to reduce it.