High blood pressure may not have any obvious symptoms. For this reason, and because it increases the risk of several life-threatening diseases, high blood pressure is often called the “silent killer.” During the time after high blood pressure develops and before a person is diagnosed and treated, high blood pressure can damage the arteries, heart, kidneys, and even the brain. Some people do not find out that they have high blood pressure until after a life-threatening complication such as heart disease, stoke, or kidney failure develops.

Having high blood pressure for a long period of time can cause serious damage to the cardiovascular system. The heart must work harder to generate the force necessary to sustain such high pressure and it may enlarge and weaken, causing a condition called heart failure. High pressure also stretches the elastic arteries past the point where they can recover and this can cause weak points in the vessel walls. Eventually, the vessel wall may engorge with blood and form an aneurysm, which is at risk of rupturing and causing serious damage or death. High pressure also damages the delicate vessels of the kidneys and can reduce kidney function to the point of kidney failure. Finally, high pressure can contribute to coronary artery disease which is a major cause of heart attacks and strokes.