How High Blood Pressure Worsens Atherosclerosis

The heart is a delicate but powerful organ that keeps your other organs alive and functioning. However, high blood pressure, popularly known as the silent killer can wreak your cardiovascular health. Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries (those blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart) as the heart pumps blood throughout the body. When the force is consistently high, it results in high blood pressure.

If uncontrolled, high blood pressure can damage other blood vessels and organs in your body. Beyond this, high blood pressure can worsen a condition called atherosclerosis which can result in severe complications and even death. On this High Blood Pressure Awareness Month, we provide some critical information on how high blood pressure can worsen artherosclerosis.

What Is Atherosclerosis?

This is the narrowing of the arteries due to plaque formation. Plaque is a waxy-like substance primarily made up of lipids. This condition leads to reduced blood flow to the heart. The formation of plaque in atherosclerosis can occur in various parts of the body. However, when these plaques accumulate in the coronary and carotid arteries, they can cause severe damage to the heart.

For instance, plaque formation coronary arteries which supply blood to the cardiac muscle cells can cause symptoms like vomiting, coughing, anxiety, angina, etc. Plaque formation in the carotid arteries which supply blood to the head and neck including the brain cause symptoms like weakness, headache, paralysis, stroke, etc.

Causes of High Blood Pressure

Hypertension or high blood pressure can be triggered by the following factors;

• Lifestyle factors such as diet, alcohol consumption, inactivity, smoking, etc
• Underlying health conditions like kidney disease, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea, etc.
• Economic factors and stressors: Where you live, income, the type of job you have which can trigger stressors are also significant causes of high blood pressure.
• Medication
• Age and family history

How Does High Blood Pressure Worsen Plaque Formation?

Consistent high blood pressure can gradually damage the endothelium (the inner surface of the blood vessels that are made up of endothelial cells). This damage to the endothelium permits LDL to penetrate and build up in the blood vessels. This is referred to as endothelial dysfunction and is the underlying trigger of atherosclerosis. Thus, this promotes an inflammatory response due to the buildup of LDL cholesterol. This subsequently activates the endothelial cells to recruit white blood cells. These white blood cells now transformed into macrophages in the blood vessels engulf the LDL cholesterol in the blood vessels. Consequently, this results in the formation of plaques.

Are There Remedies for High Blood Pressure?

A heart-healthy lifestyle is the most natural remedy for high blood pressure. This includes consuming heart-healthy foods that are low in sodium such as fruits and vegetables, whole foods and organ meat.

Also, you can incorporate a heart-healthy promoting supplement like NATURE’SFIELD CARDIOVIT to regulate your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. This hypertension supplement contains natural constituents and antioxidants such as COQ10, l-carnitine, garlic, lycopene, etc. These potent compounds are expertly combined to improve blood flow and maintain the recommended blood pressure range for your overall health.

 High blood pressure and atherosclerosis are dangerous conditions that can cause permanent damage to other organs in your body apart from the heart. Take control of your heart health from an early stage and live the best version of your life with NATURE’SFIELD CARDIOVIT.