The Relationship Between The Heart & Blood Pressure

Blood pressure can affect the entire body, including the kidneys, lungs, brain and, in particular, the heart. Conditions linked with high blood pressure include pulmonary hypertension, which reflects the force exerted by the heart to pump blood through the body and into the lungs to become enriched with oxygen.

Measuring Blood Pressure

• Blood pressure usually is measured with an arm cuff on the left arm because the left side of the heart pumps oxygen-enriched blood from the lungs to the rest of the body. The condition of pulmonary hypertension refers to high blood pressure in the arteries housed within the lungs. Checking blood pressure in the left arm measures the pressure exerted by the heart to pump blood to the lungs.

Overstretched Arteries

• Overstretching of arteries creates weak points in the blood vessels, making them more liable to rupture, and can create tiny tears in the blood vessels, which when healed leave scar tissue on the arteries' walls.

High Blood Pressure

• High blood pressure is difficult to diagnose because the condition can go undiagnosed within the body, causing problems in such areas as the kidneys and the heart. When the heart pumps blood through the body, the arteries stretch. When the force of pumping blood is high, the arteries stretch beyond a healthy limit.

Pulmonary Hypertension Symptoms

• The symptoms of pulmonary hypertension, which is artery damage in the lungs, include fatigue, dizziness and shortness of breath. Pulmonary hypertension can be triggered by other conditions, such as congenital heart disease and heart valve conditions.

Heart Attack

• High blood pressure can increase the risk of coronary heart disease (atherosclerosis). That can lead to a heart attack, which refers to a lack of blood flowing to the heart.

High Blood Pressure and Heart Attack

• The heart is supplied with oxygen-rich blood by coronary arteries that surround the heart. These arteries become damaged when plaque and fatty acids build up in their walls. As the damaged arteries block the flow of blood, the flow of oxygen is reduced, too, causing the arteries to work harder to supply the body with oxygen. Eventually, this damages the heart, leading to a heart attack. High blood pressure places extra force on the artery walls. This often leads to damaged arteries linked with heart attack.