Atherosclerosis is a dangerous health condition stemming from leaving hypertension unchecked and untreated over an extensive duration of time − it can very possibly lead to coronary artery disease, which may result in fatal consequences.

Individuals who suffer from hypertension are much more vulnerable to atherosclerosis, and are at greater risk of falling prey to coronary artery disease. In case of hypertension, the flow of blood exerts a great deal of pressure on the inner surface of the arteries, causing them to harden and become more susceptible to atherosclerosis, leading to them becoming narrower and plaque accumulating within them. This effectively prevents the supply of sufficient oxygen to the heart by lowering the amount of blood flowing through, and may result in the generation of miniature clots of blood within the arteries, which can very possibly cause heart attacks.

Atherosclerosis does not have a lot of visible symptoms, and is often not even diagnosed until arterial blood flow is significantly diminished as a result of the arteries becoming narrow. This usually manifests itself in the form of chest pains which occur more during periods of physical activities.