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Blood pressure is a measure of how hard your blood pushes against the walls of your blood vessels. But if you have high blood pressure and it is not treated properly, then your heart has to work harder to pump the blood through these narrower arteries. This can strain your heart, leading to heart damage.

The part of your heart that takes most of the strain when your arteries get narrower is the left lower chamber (the left ventricle). It gets bigger to try to cope with the extra work, just as your other muscles do when you exercise. But there are limits to how big this chamber can get. Eventually it won't be able to work hard enough to make up for the stiffness and narrowness of the blood vessels.

But there is some good news. There are pills that can help keep high blood pressure under control. They can reduce your chances of getting heart failure by half.¹

Most of the time, doctors don't why someone gets high blood pressure.

Some things increase your chances of getting high blood pressure. Doctors call the things risk factors. The main risk factors for high blood pressure are:²

• Getting older
• Having a relative with high blood pressure
• Belonging to certain ethnic groups
• Being overweight
• Not exercising
• Smoking
• Eating and drinking the wrong things
• Being stressed.

You might be able to change some of these and reduce your chances of getting high pressure. Your doctor will be able to help.

To learn more, see More about risk factors for high blood pressure.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.