High blood pressure is a major cause of heart disease and strokes, but it also cause kidney disease, some types of dementia and eye problems.
This section outlines what high blood pressure (hypertension) can do to your body, if you do not take steps to control it.
Video: how high blood pressure damages your body
Your brain
High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of strokes, and can lead to a form of dementia called vascular dementia:
Your heart and arteries
High blood pressure can severely damage your arteries and blood vessels. It can also cause heart disease and enlargement of the heart muscle, which can be very dangerous to your health:
Your kidneys
Your kidneys have a very important role in removing waste products from your body. High blood pressure can damage your kidneys and, in addition, damage to your kidneys can raise your blood pressure:
Your eyes and limbs
High blood pressure does not just affect your internal organs. It can also damage the blood vessels in your eyes and limbs, causing sight and mobility problems:
Men's and women's health
High blood pressure can also cause specific problems for men and women:
Diabetes and blood pressure
Both diabetes and high blood pressure raise your risk of having a stroke or heart attack. If you have both together, it increases your risk even further:
Low blood pressure
Some people have a blood pressure level that is lower than average. Most of the time, this is no cause for concern, but sometimes low blood pressure can cause you to feel unwell:
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