Hypertension: Silent Killer

High blood pressure is when the force of blood pushing against artery walls is consistently high—which can lead to serious damage and complications including heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and even dementia. Most people with high blood pressure, also called hypertension, have no symptoms.

“Hypertension is a silent killer—a patient has no idea that there is an issue, but their body is enduring significant damage,” said Rachid Daoui, MD, chief of the Division of Nephrology at Saratoga Hospital.

Most adults are diagnosed at routine health screenings or during unrelated medical visits. In the majority of cases, high blood pressure builds up gradually over years as plaque builds up in the arteries, causing them to narrow.

However, certain medications—pain relievers, cough medicine, birth control pills—and health conditions can also raise blood pressure.

The risk of high blood pressure increases with age or if a parent or sibling has the condition. Lifestyle is a big contributor such as excess weight, lack of exercise, tobacco or alcohol use, too much salt, or too little potassium. Stress can cause a temporary increase in blood pressure, but stress-related habits such as eating more, smoking, or drinking alcohol, can lead to further increases.

“While you cannot control all the factors that contribute to high blood pressure, most people can reduce their risk by making healthier choices: move more, eat fewer foods high in sodium, don’t smoke,” said Dr. Daoui. “Most importantly, you need to have your blood pressure checked, especially if you are at higher risk.”

Once someone is diagnosed with high blood pressure, treatment often includes a combination of lifestyle changes and medication that can relax the blood vessels, slow down the heart rate, or remove excess water and sodium from the body, depending on the overall health of the patient.