Does treating high blood pressure make a difference?
When blood pressure is high, the heart is constantly having to pump blood into a high pressure system. This increases the work the heart must do over a period of years and places a tremendous strain on the heart. Treating high blood pressure can protect both the heart and the blood vessels through which the blood is pumped,as well as other organs, particularly the brain and the kidneys. Better treatment of high blood pressure over the past 30 years has resulted in a decrease in death from heart disease by over 50% and a 50% decrease in the number of people who have a stroke. Still, more than 70% of those with high blood pressure receive inadequate blood pressure treatment, or no treatment at all.
