Doctors do not fully understand the complicated relationship between high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries. The two diseases can exist separately, but they often go together. The greatest damage occurs in the latter case.
We have indicated how hypertension injures the heart by making it work against pressure, and how arteriosclerosis causes a narrowing of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. A heart muscle that is already handicapped by an inadequate supply of blood would be especially endangered if called upon to do the extra work needed when the blood pressure is high.
One clue that is being tracked down is related to the presence of cholesterol in the arteries. Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in every tissue of the body. Unusual amounts of fatty deposits in the lining of the arteries are the first changes seen in arteriosclerosis.
One thing is certain: eating fatty foods will make most people overweight. Obesity is a menace to your health. It is well known that the thin person has a much longer life expectancy than the obese person.
Like most other doctors, I advise men and women with hardening of the arteries to stop smoking, or at least to smoke as little as possible. The use of anticoagulants can reduce the blood’s tendency to form clots as it passes through the narrowed arteries.
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