Football star Joe Montana warns about the dangers of hypertension

San Antonio Express - San Antonio, TX, USA - NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana has high blood pressure and he wants other people with hypertension to learn how to manage the problem.

As an NFL star, Montana led his teams to four Super Bowl championships.

Professional athletes are in great shape, and that is why Montana was surprised to learn in 2002, at 45 years old, he was diagnosed with hypertension. Now, Montana is tackling high blood pressure by adjusting his lifestyle and traveling the country to spread his message to others.

"I had been going to a yearly physical since I turned 40 'cause my wife suggested it. Otherwise, I would have never known, because there are no symptoms with it, and I felt perfectly fine," Montana said.

One in three adults, or more than 70 million Americans, suffers from high blood pressure, yet, more than half do not have it under control.

Fitness expert Dr. James Rippe says uncontrolled hypertension can be a killer.

"If you have high blood pressure and it's not controlled, because the arteries are not designed to withstand that pressure, every time your heart beats, it damages the inner lining of every artery," Rippe said.