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Hypertension Specialist

Samuel I. Fink, MD Our Services Hypertension

Samuel I. Fink, MD

Internal Medicine & Primary Care located in Tarzana, CA

It’s estimated that one out of three American adults have hypertension, which silently develops for years without causing symptoms until it progresses enough to cause serious problems like a heart attack. Samuel I. Fink, MD, Inc., specializes in preventing chronic diseases like hypertension and providing the ongoing care you need to keep your blood pressure in a normal range. To schedule blood pressure screening or treatment, call the office in Tarzana, California, or use the online booking feature.

Hypertension Q & A

How does hypertension affect my health?

As blood flows through your body, it pushes against blood vessel walls, creating pressure that’s measured as blood pressure. Your blood pressure is determined by the health of your arteries, the strength of your heartbeat, and the total amount of blood circulating through your body.

When hypertension, or high blood pressure, goes untreated, the increased pressure damages blood vessels, creating rough spots on vessel walls. These spots make it easy for cholesterol and other fats circulating in your blood to get stuck, accumulate, and form plaque.

Over time, plaque hardens and causes atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis blocks blood flow, which deprives tissues of oxygen-rich blood. If a piece of the plaque breaks off, it travels to your heart, lungs, or brain, causing a heart attack, pulmonary embolism, or stroke, respectively.

High blood pressure affects small blood vessels in your kidneys, where it’s the second leading cause of kidney failure. When you have hypertension, you’re also at a higher risk of aneurysms, damage to blood vessels in your eyes, and memory problems, if it affects blood vessels in your brain.


What symptoms develop due to hypertension?

Hypertension usually doesn’t cause any symptoms. If you don’t have your blood pressure checked regularly, you’ll never know you have a problem, even though it’s damaging your health.


What increases my risk of hypertension?

These factors raise your risk for hypertension:

  • Being overweight
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • High-salt diet
  • Chronic stress
  • Cigarette smoker

You can prevent hypertension by changing your lifestyle to eliminate these risk factors. As a primary care physician providing comprehensive care, Dr. Fink works with you to develop a plan that addresses all your risk factors.


What is secondary hypertension?

Although most cases of hypertension are caused by lifestyle factors, it can also develop due to an underlying health condition. This is called secondary hypertension. Obesity, a thyroid imbalance, chronic kidney disease, and obstructive sleep apnea are a few examples of conditions that can lead to secondary hypertension.


How is hypertension treated?

Dr. Fink customizes your treatment according to the severity of your hypertension. The first line of treatment includes lifestyle changes, whether that means losing weight, changing your diet, or stopping smoking.

In many cases, lifestyle changes alone can get your hypertension under control. If your blood pressure is too high, or lifestyle changes aren’t enough, Dr. Fink prescribes medication to lower your blood pressure.

Several medications are available for lowering blood pressure and each one works differently. Dr. Fink chooses the one that’s best for your personal health.

If it’s time to schedule a blood pressure check, or you’re worried about your blood pressure, call Samuel I. Fink, MD, Inc., or book an appointment online.