High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard. It also makes the walls of the arteries hard. High blood pressure increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, the first- and third-leading causes of death for Americans. High blood pressure can also cause other problems, such as heart failure, kidney disease, and blindness.
Find out about the effect of high blood pressure on your body. Click on the words brain, eyes, arteries, kidneys, and heart to get a closer look at what high blood pressure does to these organs.
