What Are the Causes of Hypertensive Heart Disease?

High blood pressure is the most common cause for heart disease. Hypertensive heart disease is caused by high blood pressure and is one of the leading causes of death and illness associated with having high blood pressure. The best way to fight heart disease is to know your risks, know the causes and know ways to prevent it.

How Is It Different?

• Hypertensive heart disease is coronary heart disease, accompanied by heart failure and enlargement of the heart that occurs because of high blood pressure. Hypertension is the term attributed to high blood pressure. Possible complications with hypertensive heart disease are angina (chest pain), arrythmias (irregular heart beats), heart attack, heart failure, stroke and sudden death.

High Blood Pressure

• Blood pressure is measured by the force of blood produced by the heart and also by the size and condition of the arteries. High blood pressure is determined by two numbers, the top number is systolic pressure and the bottom number is diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the pressure created when your heart beats. Diastolic pressure is the pressure inside the blood vessels when the heart is at rest. The average blood pressure is 120/80 and the high range of normal is 140/90. Anything above these numbers is considered high blood pressure.

Causes

• Obviously, the main cause of hypertensive heart disease is hypertension. Since high blood pressure increases the pressure of the blood vessels, this makes the heart have to work harder each time it pumps. The heart muscles then begin to thicken and the left ventricle of the heart becomes enlarged. The amount of blood the heart can pump goes down. High blood pressure can cause ischemic heart disease from the increased need of oxygen by the thicker heart muscles. High blood pressure also leads to the thickening of the blood vessel walls.

Risk Factors

• Having a risk factor for high blood pressure means having a risk factor for hypertensive heart disease. You have a greater risk for high blood pressure if it runs in your family. Smoking, obesity and diabetes are all risk factors for hypertension. Essential hypertension is when you have no cause or risk factor but you develop high blood pressure. Secondary hypertension is when a habit, condition or medication causes you to have high blood pressure. You can lower some of your risks by taking on a healthier lifestyle, like quitting smoking, eating healthier and exercising.

Prevention

• The best way of preventing hypertensive heart disease is to know what your blood pressure is. According to the American Heart Association, one in every three U.S. adults has high blood pressure. Almost one-third of people who have high blood pressure don't know it. You should get your blood pressure checked regularly by a doctor and if you have high blood pressure, you should take medication to control it. Also, changing your diet, exercising regularly, reducing alcohol consumption, quitting smoking and losing weight are the best ways to lower your blood pressure.