What Are the Complications of Hypertension?

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a dangerous health condition that can be managed through personal behaviors such as eating a heart healthy diet and engaging in regular physical activity, as well as taking medications that lower blood pressure. Over a period of years, hypertension that is not controlled can cause severe health complications such as neurological problems, metabolic diseases and organ failure, which may be life-threatening. Consider this information from the Mayo Clinic about the complications of hypertension.

Artery Damage

• Hypertension damages, hardens and narrows your arteries, which requires the heart to work harder to pump blood through the body. This may eventually lead to heart failure.

Blindness

• Damage to the blood vessels that serve the eyes is a complication of hypertension that can lead to blindness.

Kidney Failure

• Hypertension can damage or constrict the blood vessels that serve the kidneys, and cause complications such as kidney damage or failure.

Metabolic Syndrome

• Hypertension increases your risk of developing a condition called metabolic syndrome, which causes problems with metabolism that can later develop into chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Memory Loss

• Memory loss, confusion and lack of clarity in communicating with others are neurological complications of hypertension.

Aneurysm

• An aneurysm is a ballooning or bulging of a blood vessel that can develop in organs such as the brain, heart or pancreas. This can be fatal if the aneurysm bursts.

Stroke

• Hypertension can cause a blood clot to develop in the brain, which may either burst or block an artery and result in a life-threatening stroke ("brain attack").