High blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, is referred to often as a silent killer because significant damage has already been done to the patient's body before any obvious symptoms show up. Many patients find out about their high blood pressure during a routine physical without having experienced any symptoms. Do not take high blood pressure lightly just because you don't feel the symptoms. A large percentage of people who suffer heart attacks or congestive heart failure started out with symptom free high blood pressure. No factor is more closely associated with heart disease than high blood pressure. A third of the population will develop high blood pressure.