Dr. Clyde Yancy answeres the question: 'Hypertension Links To Heart Disease?'
Question: How is high blood pressure associated with heart disease?
Answer: Coronary artery disease is caused by a variety of known factors, most importantly high blood pressure contributes substantially to the risk of developing coronary disease. Not that we understand exactly the connection, but we recognize that there's clearly an association between having high blood pressure and developing blocked blood vessels around the heart.
And it's very clear that if we treat hypertension and correct it, we can reduce the incidence of coronary artery disease. So it's very important to acknowledge it as a risk factor, treat it as such, and ongoing research will help us understand the exact connection.
Next: At What Age Should I Start Having My Blood Pressure Checked And How Often Should It Be Done?
