Using new technology, researchers have discovered that even small blood pressure
changes can damage the heart even in healthy people, a new study finds.

About 70 million Americans have high blood pressure, which is a leading cause of
heart attack and stroke. The condition rarely has any symptoms and the only way
for people to know if they have the condition is to have their blood pressure
measured.

Utilizing special MRI scans, scientists in the UK created a 3D map of the hearts of
1,500 people. They then used the latest computer technology to explore each
person’s heart to establish the precise changes in its shape and function - the effects
of increasing blood pressure.

The study revealed that even in healthy adults a small increase in blood pressure led
to thickening of the heart muscle that is known to be a risk factor for premature
death.

“The risk of high blood pressure is well known, but these scans show the earliest
signs of damage to the heart may begin in completely healthy people. This suggests
that any increase in our blood pressure may put greater strain on the heart,” said
Declan O’Regan, M.D., lead author of the study in the Journal of the American College
of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Imaging.