Is High Blood Pressure Linked to Inflammation?

Numerous studies suggest a link between high blood pressure and inflammation, and research is ongoing to gain greater understanding about this connection and what it means for cardiovascular health.

The link between hypertension and inflammation could be complex, each having the potential to influence the other, according to a study published in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation.

"Inflammation and hypertension may interact with each other in a bidirectional manner," the report said.

The American Heart Association listed high blood pressure among risk factors that can lead to inflammation, which is common for heart disease and stroke patients.

"Think about a splinter in your finger or an abscess on a tooth," said Donna Arnett, chair and professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a past president of the American Heart Association. "Our body launches an attack with our white blood cells and chemicals that results in redness and swelling to kill the bacteria or rid the body of the intruder."

HCA Healthcare said that Harvard Medical School researchers found that inflammation may trigger high blood pressure. A women's health study published in 1998 found that women with the highest baseline levels of C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation, were 50 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure than those with the lowest levels.

The connection could be explained by risk factors such as excess body fat, high LDL and low HDL cholesterol levels, insulin resistance, and smoking, which are associated with increased inflammation as well as hypertension. Measuring C-reactive proteins could help people monitor their risks for high blood pressure and take steps to prevent heart disease, according to HCA Healthcare.

Regardless of how inflammation and high blood pressure influence each other, both measures are seen as important factors in cardiovascular health. A patient's risk of heart attack and stroke may be as much as eight times higher when both blood pressure and C-reactive protein levels are high, according to WebMD.

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