Explain how high blood pressure can lead to a blocked artery.

High blood pressure can damage the endothelial lining of arteries. This damage attracts white blood cells and LDL cholesterol to bind to the site of the damage and build up, forming a fatty plaque called an atheroma in the lumen of the artery.The atheroma attracts platelets to bind, forming a blood clot on top of the atheroma and further narrowing the lumen, therefore increasing the blood pressure and the cycle starts again.As the atheroma and blood clot (thrombosis) grow, they may become large enough to block the artery.