High blood pressure (hypertension) is called the “silent killer” for a reason. It often produces no symptoms, but poses a serious risk of heart disease and stroke. And these diseases are among the leading causes of death in the United States.
Nearly half of US adults have high blood pressure.
Your blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, which is mm Hg for short. Two numbers are involved in the measurement:
Systolic blood pressure. The top number represents the pressure when the heart pushes blood into arteries throughout the body.
Diastolic pressure. The lower number represents the pressure in the blood vessels between beats, when the heart fills and relaxes.
Blood pressure depends on how much blood the heart is pumping and how much resistance there is to blood flow in the arteries. The narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.
Blood pressure lower than 120/80 mm Hg is considered normal. Blood pressure that is 130/80 mm Hg or higher is considered high.
If your blood pressure is above normal, but below 130/80 mm Hg, you fall into the elevated blood pressure category. This means that you are at risk of developing high blood pressure.
The good news about elevated blood pressure is that you can make changes that will significantly lower it and reduce your risk without the need for medication.
