We can compare blood travelling through arteries to that of water being pumped through a hosepipe. Turn the tap up on the hosepipe and the pressure of the water coming out of the hose is greater, turn it down and so does the pressure. So if we liken that to the pressure of our blood in the arteries, if the blood flow is constant without any constrictions then a normal blood pressure reading is obtained. However if the arteries are blocked or if there is some kind of build up within the artery then the pressure must go up to force the blood around to the viatal organs.
The build up of fat or plaque is the main factor in high blood pressure and heart disease. With this build up of fat and plaque the whole structure of the artery changes. It goes from a very efficient system that is both strong and elastic to a system that has been narrowed and hardened making it more difficult for blood to flow through around the body. The main consequence of this is inadequate blood supply, tissue damage occurs, increased risk in a blood clot forming and worst case senario death. As you can expect with poor circulation oxygen rich blood has difficulty in reaching the heart, which can cause angina or a heart attack
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