Untreated long-term hypertension increases risk for which condition?

• A. Decreased stroke risk
• B. Improved renal function
• C. Heart failure
• D. No cardiovascular risk

Answer: (C)

Chronic untreated hypertension wears the heart and vessels down from relentless high pressure. The heart must pump against greater resistance, prompting left ventricular hypertrophy as an initial adaptation. Over time this remodeling and the persistent pressure increase stiffen the heart and impair its ability to fill or pump effectively, leading to heart failure. Hypertension also damages arteries and accelerates atherosclerosis, raising risk for stroke and kidney disease, but the direct, classic long-term consequence among the options is heart failure. The other statements aren’t accurate: hypertension does not lower stroke risk or improve renal function, and it certainly does not eliminate cardiovascular risk.