3 dangers of high blood pressure

Doctors once shrugged off high blood pressure in their older patients as a normal sign of aging. Today, all that has changed. While your odds for high blood pressure do rise with every passing birthday lowering it has never been easier. Here are reasons why that's important.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a silent killer that plays a role in 75 percent of heart attacks and strokes. Blood pressure increases as artery linings stiffen because the flow of blood becomes harder and faster. This damages walls and can cause plaque build up which breaks off resulting in clots.  When clots block the arteries that feed fuel and oxygen to your heart, that's a heart attack. When clots block the blood vessels to your brain, that's a stroke.

High blood pressure can also enlarge and weaken your heart, and even damage your eyes and kidneys. Research confirms high blood pressure is a major health risk. Lowering your blood pressure can cut your odds for major health problems significantly. At the same time, it can prevent or delay kidney damage and guard your eyes against vision loss brought on by severe hypertension.

Experts now say the standard advice to keep blood pressure readings below 140/90 isn't good enough. Damage to arteries actually begins at blood pressure levels doctors once considered optimal, even stellar. The new thinking about high blood pressure is that lower is always better. Now, a healthy blood pressure should be lower than 120/80.

Lowering your blood pressure could actually help unclog your arteries. So even if you have a history of high blood pressure it can be reversible.