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How does hypertension damage the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes?
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cardiovascular disease
This micrograph shows a cross section of a coronary artery narrowed by an atherosclerotic plaque (purplish matter inside the artery). Most heart attacks are caused by the rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque, which triggers the formation of a clot that abruptly blocks blood flow to part of the heart muscle.
Hypertension damages vital organs by forcing the heart to work harder against increased resistance and by causing direct injury to small blood vessels (arterioles) throughout the body.12
Impact on Organs
- Heart: Chronic high blood pressure leads to left ventricular hypertrophy (enlargement of the heart), which can eventually weaken the muscle to the point of congestive heart failure. Hypertension also accelerates atherosclerosis in coronary arteries, increasing the risk of angina pectoris and myocardial infarction.12
- Brain: Damage to the vessels supplying the brain can lead to stroke, including cerebral hemorrhage or infarction caused by thrombosis.12
- Kidneys: Hypertension causes nephrosclerosis, where damage to renal arterioles leads to scarring and reduced kidney function, potentially resulting in kidney failure.123
- Eyes: Known as hypertensive retinopathy, this condition involves damage to small retinal blood vessels, causing bleeding, swelling, and vision loss. Sudden, severe hypertension may also cause swelling of the optic nerve.42
In cases of malignant hypertension, these organs suffer rapid, severe damage due to extremely high pressure, representing a critical medical emergency.123