By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - There are many reasons to be concerned about uncontrolled high blood pressure. The major concern is the increased risk of heart attack and stroke but one of the things that most people don’t think about is the fact that uncontrolled high blood pressure over a prolonged period of time can lead to damage to the pumping mechanism of the heart – a problem called left ventricular hypertrophy.

This can be the result of years of ignoring high blood pressure. The problem is that when we get to that point much of the damage is done.

High blood pressure is a tough problem to treat because the symptoms are vague at best and people often find the side effects of the medications worse than the disease. But remember there are numerous choices out there and some will work well with you.