The Explanation of High Blood Pressure

If the blood pressure is higher than normal, the heart is probably having to work harder to push the blood through the circulation, and this may indicate that there is some disease of the system.

There might, for example, be arteriosclerosis, or a narrowing of the arteries. Clearly, the smaller the opening in a blood vessel, the harder the heart has to work to pump the blood through. If the heart works too hard over a long period, its life may be shortened, and this is why doctors are on the look-out for high blood pressure.