does elevated blood pressure cause progressive damage? (pain, kidneys, doctor)

[howard555]

If my blood pressure is slightly elevated and stays that way for say 2 years, without any medication, and then I start taking blood pressure medication, was any "damage" done in those previous two years?

Or did I just dodge the chances of heart attack, stroke, etc....and no harm done?

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by howard555

If my blood pressure is slightly elevated and stays that way for say 2 years, without any medication, and then I start taking blood pressure medication, was any "damage" done in those previous two years?

Or did I just dodge the chances of heart attack, stroke, etc....and no harm done?

You may be able to reverse some of the organ damage that high blood pressure causes, but why take the risk? Controlling it helps reduce the risk of kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke.

Most people have their pressure controlled with generic medication that costs $10 for a 3 month supply.

[gentlearts]

This is a question you should ask you doctor. My opinion, as someone who takes blood pressure medication and went for a couple of years of questionable BP before starting the meds, is that you probably did not cause irreversible damage in those two years.

[kitty61]

Originally Posted by howard555

If my blood pressure is slightly elevated and stays that way for say 2 years, without any medication, and then I start taking blood pressure medication, was any "damage" done in those previous two years?

Or did I just dodge the chances of heart attack, stroke, etc....and no harm done?

Damage occurs and progresses when your blood pressure is out of control. Taking the medication does not heal that. Meds regulate your blood pressure and prevent further damage but you still need to do your part and make necessary changes to your lifestyle. It is possible to lower your blood pressure with those changes and not need mediation anymore. i wouldn't toy with that right now. Just get that pressure down.

[tickyul]

High BP can and many times does permanently damage the Kidneys glomerular-tubes

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by howard555

If my blood pressure is slightly elevated and stays that way for say 2 years, without any medication, and then I start taking blood pressure medication, was any "damage" done in those previous two years?

Or did I just dodge the chances of heart attack, stroke, etc....and no harm done?

My husband had high blood pressure for years - it sort of "ran high" at around 140/90. But then it started getting out of control in his fifties and he started taking medication, which brought it back down to around 145/90 or so consistently.

August 26th at age 62, he dropped dead of a massive and sudden heart attack. Ironically, he was scheduled for a scan at his next cardiologist appt (he never missed an appt and aced his last EKG and checkup earlier this year).

My point is that in addition to the medication, please have a good scan done. His brother had one done three years ago (he's three years older than my husband was), and had to have a stint put in. I am sure if they'd done a scan for my husband, they'd have put a stint in a well and we may have been able to divert disaster. Or maybe not, who knows.

Prior to the heart attack, in the weeks leading up to it, my husband's blood pressure was within his typical range by the way. He felt fine but he did complain of mild off and on jaw pain a few times. And one time he told me "I don't feel all that good," but a few minutes later he was up and about and seemed fine, and his color never looked bad and his blood pressure never spiked that we know of. And he said, "I feel fine now." But he had told me that sometime in September or October he wanted to go back to the cardiologist because he felt like his blood pressure meds needed to be tweaked - whatever that meant.

He was on a low dose of losartan but clearly that didn't address all the issues.

Oh and to answer your question about possible damage - the untreated high blood pressure for several years DID negatively impact my husband's kidney function to a small degree, and it never seemed to get better.

Cover your bases please!