DNA Damage Caused by Hypertension

Hypertension, often referred to as simply high blood pressure, refers to the condition in which the pressure of the blood is kept at a heightened level. When this pressure is sustained for an extended period of time, actual DNA damage can occur. Most of this damage is in relation to the transference of oxygen and the reactive oxygen ions within the body, causing something called oxidative stress. However, other forms of DNA damage can occur from sustained hypertension, prompting other types of damage within the system.

Arterial Damage

• Of all the damage caused by hypertension, arterial damage is one of the most common. But this arterial damage isn't just on the surface of the arteries, it can also happen within the actual DNA of the cells. As a person lives with hypertension, the body can go through oxidative stress, producing what is referred to as oxidative DNA damage. This type of damage may produce lesions or strand breaks within the DNA of a cell. If this occurs within the cells of the arteries, the process of atherosclerosis, which is a thickening of the arterial walls, begins to take place.

Muscular Damage

• Often accompanying the arterial damage is muscular damage within the heart. When a person suffers from high blood pressure, especially for a prolonged period of time, DNA damage can occur within the cardiomyocytes--commonly referred to as the muscles of the myocardium--due to oxidative stress. As the DNA damage occurs, the actual structure of these muscles can change, becoming thicker and less flexible than normal. Over time, this thickening affects the overall function of the heart, making it more difficult for this organ to circulate blood.

Circulatory Damage

• Increased blood pressure can also take a toll on the actual DNA of the blood vessels. As the body experiences oxidative stress, the reactive oxygen ions, which naturally occur within the body, can damage the DNA of the blood vessels, causing them to experience vasospams. Vasospasms are small spasms that take place in blood vessels. This event often triggers vasoconstriction, which is the medical term for the thickening of the blood vessels.

Immune Damage

• When blood pressure continues to escalate, DNA damage may begin to take place within the lymphocyte, or a type of white blood cell, of the body. And, because lymphocytes are part of a healthy immune system, any DNA damage that occurs within the cells can impact a person's immune response. However, this DNA damage of the lymphocytes can also contribute to concentric hypertrophy of an organ, which is a thickening of its walls.

Kidney Damage

• High blood pressure can also produce some DNA damage within the cells of the kidney. Again, this is a result of oxidative stress. As the reactive oxygen ions interact with the DNA, they can cause a strand break or lesion to occur within the cells of the tubule, which is part of the filtration system of the kidneys. Once the filtration is affected, waste can accumulate within the body and cause kidney failure.

Considerations

• Just because damage has occurred within the DNA doesn't mean that the cells are permanently affected. Your body is equipped to produce DNA repairing enzymes that can alter injury or modification suffered in a cell. As science continues to advance, more and more discoveries are made to actually treat damaged DNA and make these cells increasingly resistant to injury.