High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common condition that can have serious health consequences if left unmanaged - which is why blood pressure is one of the primary biomarkers everyone should be tracking themselves.

High blood pressure is when the force of the blood against the artery walls is too high, which can lead to damage over time. The impacts of high blood pressure on health are significant and include several potentially life-threatening conditions:

• Heart disease and heart attacks - due to hardening and thickening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
• Stroke - from blood vessels in the brain clogging up or weakening (leading to a blockage or rupture)
• Kidney disease - high blood pressure can damage the kidneys' delicate system of blood vessels that filter waste from your blood
• Vision loss - from damaged blood vessels in the eyes
  

The absence of symptoms until serious damage has occurred makes hypertension particularly dangerous, earning it the nickname "the silent killer."