What are the complications of Hypertension?
Uncontrolled hypertension can cause the following complications:
Arteriosclerosis (blood vessels that supply oxygen and other nutrients to the body's organs harden and become narrower): Arteriosclerosis can cause serious diseases, e.g. heart disease and stroke.
Aneurysm (a swollen blood vessel): uncontrolled hypertension can make a blood vessel wall thinner and bulged, and result in aneurysm. It could be fatal if the aneurysm bursts.
Heart failure: rise in blood pressure will increase the resistance of blood vessels, placing an added load on the heart; and will result in heart failure.
Stroke: the bursting of an aneurysm in the brain can cause stroke. Uncontrolled hypertension can also cause blood clots in the carotid artery (arteries in the neck), and if the blood clot enters the brain, it can cause embolic stroke.
Renal failure: uncontrolled hypertension will affect the arteries in the kidneys, causing damage to kidney function.
Retinopathy (damage to blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye): uncontrolled hypertension will affect arterioles (branches of arteries) in eyes, causing lesions.