Arteriosclerosis & Other Effects of High Blood Pressure on Tendons and Joints

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, can affect your body and health in many ways. High blood pressure in and of itself rarely has any symptoms, which is why it has been dubbed, "The Silent Killer." If you listen to the news, I am sure you have seen the medical reports that uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, aneurysms and many other health problems. However, the effects of high blood pressure on tendons and joints are not as widely reported. In fact, high blood pressure can be the underlying cause of myriad conditions.

While not a direct cause, the effects of high blood pressure on tendons and joints is usually in the form of a disease called arteriosclerosis. This is where the arteries become restricted due to a build up of fatty tissue. This fatty tissue is the body's repair response to arterial wall damage that can be caused by hypertension. This, in turn, will cause a restricted blood supply to the tissues of the body, including the joints and tendons (Mayo Clinic, 2003).

This reduced blood flow can affect the joints and tendons in several ways. One type of associated problem is muscle cramping. The reduced blood supply can cause cramp like pain in the muscles during exercise, although this pain will usually disappear after the cessation of exercise (Mayo Clinic, 2006).

As we exercise, whether strenuously or only within our daily lives, our muscles and tendons are constantly being torn down, and then re-built. It is the way the body regenerates these tissues. With a reduced blood supply due to the effects of high blood pressure on tendons and joints, these tissues will be slower in regenerating, and subject to injury. The "burn" or mild ache we feel after exercise will also take longer to dissipate because of the slowed regeneration.

Hypertension also can cause excessive calcium to be excreted though the urine, resulting in bone loss. This condition, called osteoporosis, can result in bone fractures, and accelerated degeneration of the joints (Mayo Clinic, 2007).

Myself, I suffered from complications due to the effects of high blood pressure on tendons and joints. In 2007, while working out at the local gym, I suffered a complete distal bicep rupture. In lay terms, this means that my bicep tendon tore completely away from the bone. The effect of which is that my bicep muscle sprang up and resided in my armpit! It has since been re-attached. During the consultation with my orthopedic surgeon, he asked if I had ever been diagnosed with high blood pressure. I said that I had. In truth it had been uncontrolled for several years after diagnosis, I I have not a clue as to how long I had had high blood pressure prior to that. My surgeon mention that the hypertension could have been a contributing factor to my injury, as the strength of the tendon could not keep pace with the increased strength of the muscle. Possibly due to reduced blood flow related to high blood pressure.

Hypertension is not only the "Silent Killer", it can also affect you life in many other ways: Blindness, erectile dysfunction, and the effects of high blood pressure on tendons and joints. Once diagnosed, it is normally very easy to control. Lifestyle changes are sometimes the only thing needed. Possibly a once a day pill will be required. However, take heart. These drugs usually have few if any side effects and you will be doing you body, and family a great favor. So see your doctor today, get tested, and live a long and healthy life.

Works cited

Mayo Clinic. (2003). In Mayo Clinic Family Health Book (p. 763). Harper Collins.

Mayo Clinic. (2007). High blood pressure dangers: Hypertension's effects on your body. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic.com: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/HI00062

Mayo Clinic. (2006, July 17). Muscle cramp: Causes. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic.com: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/muscle-cramp/DS00311/DSECTION=3