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Show Damaging Effects Of High Blood Pressure By DR. HAROLD B. LIGON Lately, we have been talking about high blood pressure; its definition, its significance, and its incidence of occurrence. There remains much to be said about it. Let's continue a general gen-eral discussion. THE circulatory system of the body has as its main objective objec-tive the transportation of blood containing oxygen and nutriment nutri-ment to all the organs and other parts of the body. The arteries carry blood to the parts. The veins return blood from these parts for reoxygenation in the lungs and recycling by the heart pump. THE damaging effects of high blood pressure are brought about through this same circulatory system. The long term target organs affected by hypertension through the circulatory system are the eyes, kidneys, brain, heart and major blood vessels. Generally, the kidneys, brain and eyes are affected on a circulatory basis, each organ requiring blood supply in its most efficient form. Over the years, if the circulation is not up to par, slow and gradual deterioration de-terioration takes place because be-cause of the arteriosclerosis encouraged by hypertension. Ultimately, that organ can fail! DAMAGE TO the heart takes place in two ways. Heart muscle strain occurs secondary secon-dary to the increased work load. The heart simply has to work harder and gets less rest as a result of the higher resistance resist-ance to the pumping action. The other damaging way is again circulatory; the development develop-ment of arteriosclerosis in the coronary arteries ( the arteries that supply the heart). Hypertensive Hyper-tensive damage can lead to coronary artery disease and ultimate heart failure and other conditions of the heart. YOU CAN imagine, therefore, there-fore, that the long term effects of high blood pressure can be just as deadly and serious as those of. an acute, sudden and extensive stroke. |