What is high blood pressure?

High blood pressure means that the force of the blood pushing against the sides of your arteries is consistently in the high range. This is not normal.  It can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, or kidney failure. “Hypertension” is another word for high blood pressure.

Two numbers represent blood pressure. The higher (systolic) number shows the pressure while the heart is beating. The lower (diastolic) number shows the pressure when the heart is resting between beats. The systolic number is always listed first.

A blood pressure reading of less than 120 over 80 is considered normal for adults. A blood pressure reading equal to or higher than 140 over 90 is high. Blood pressure between 120–139/80–89 is considered “prehypertension” and requires lifestyle modifications to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Having hypertension does not mean that you’re tense, nervous or hyperactive. You can be calm and relaxed and still have high blood pressure. You usually can’t tell if you have it. The only way to know if your blood pressure is high is to have it checked regularly by your doctor.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a medical condition that is diagnosed when your blood pressure is measured to be greater than 140/90 on two or more occasions. High blood pressure affects 50 million Americans, or one in every four adults. Furthermore, more than half of all Americans over age 65 have hypertension.

Hypertension usually has no symptoms and is considered a silent condition. Occasionally, someone with high blood pressure can experience headaches, confusion, nausea, and visual disturbance or in extreme rare cases even seizures.

Most people with high blood pressure have essential (or primary) hypertension. Essential hypertension accounts for 95% of all cases of high blood pressure. Essential hypertension has no known cause but is likely due to combination of factors such as genetics, insulin resistance and obesity. Secondary hypertension is due to known causes and accounts for 5% of all cases of high blood pressure. These causes include kidney disease, obstructive sleep apnea, heavy alcohol use, certain medications like long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and certain street drugs like cocaine.

Risk factors for developing hypertension include having a family history of high blood pressure, alcohol abuse, high salt intake, an inactive lifestyle, and being overweight.

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps out blood. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage your heart and lead to plaque buildup.

Often, high blood pressure has no signs or symptoms. However, the condition can be detected using a simple test that involves placing a blood pressure cuff around your arm.

Most adults should have their blood pressure checked at least once a year. Talk to your doctor about how often you should have your blood pressure checked. If you have high blood pressure, you will likely need to have your blood pressure checked more often.

Blood pressure normally rises with age and body size. Newborns often have very low blood pressure numbers, while older teens have numbers similar to adults.

The ranges for normal blood pressure and high blood pressure are generally lower for youth than for adults. These ranges are based on the average blood pressure numbers for age, gender, and height.

This answer from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has been reviewed and/or edited by Dr. Robert S. Kaufmann.

Many studies have been performed to determine how blood pressure corresponds to risk for medical problems, such as heart attack or stroke. Your healthcare provider will measure the pressure in your arm to determine if your blood pressure is high - at a level that could increase your risk for having a heart attack or stroke.

Blood pressure is the amount of force that your blood exerts when it pushes against artery walls in your body. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood away from your heart to the rest of your body. If blood travels through your arteries with too much pressure, it can damage the walls of the arteries and contribute to cardiovascular diseases that lead to heart attack, stroke and other complications.

When your blood pressure reading is taken, your doctor will give you two numbers: the top number is called the systolic number, and the bottom one is called the diastolic number. The systolic number tells you the pressure of blood on your artery walls during your heartbeat (when the heart pumps blood out of the heart). The diastolic number is the pressure on your arteries in between beats when the heart is relaxing and refilling with blood as it gets ready to pump again. The important thing to know is that only a reading at or below 120/80 mmHg is normal.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, means the heart is pounding faster than it should to send nutrients and oxygen through the blood vessels to the cells. In general, blood pressure is how forcefully the blood bangs against the walls of the arteries. With continuous high blood pressure, the heart works harder because the artery walls thicken, which reduces blood flow.

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a condition present when blood flows through the blood vessels with a force greater than normal. High blood pressure can strain the heart, damage blood vessels, and increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, eye problems, and kidney problems.

High blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension, is classified by stages and is more serious as the numbers get higher. A blood pressure level of less than 120/80 mmHg is normal. A blood pressure level greater than 140/90, but less than 160/100 is considered stage 1 hypertension, requiring treatment. A blood pressure level greater than 160/90 is considered stage 2 hypertension.

High blood pressure or hypertension is a repeatedly elevated blood pressure reading exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood blood through the body. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage the body in many ways. High blood pressure is a potentially serious condition that can result in coronary heart disease, heart failure, kidney failure, stroke and other health problems.

High blood pressure is another major risk factor for heart disease. It is a condition where the pressure of the blood in the arteries is too high. There are often no symptoms to signal high blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure by changes in lifestyle or by medication can lower the risk of heart disease and heart attack.

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Each time the heart beats, it sends blood coursing through the arteries. The peak reading of the pressure exerted by this contraction is the systolic pressure. Between beats the heart relaxes, and blood pressure drops. This lower reading is referred to as the diastolic pressure. Blood pressure readings are in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). A normal blood pressure reading for adults is 120 (systolic)/80 (diastolic). Readings above this level are a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. High blood pressure readings can be divided into the following levels

Prehypertension (120-139//0-89)

Borderline (120-160/90-94)

Mild (140-160/95-104)

Moderate (140-180/105-114)
Severe (160-/115_)

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries (blood vessels). Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood through blood vessels, supplying the body's muscles, organs and tissues with the oxygen and nutrients that they need to function. Over the course of a day, an individual's blood pressure rises and falls transiently many times in response to various stimuli. Elevated blood pressure over a sustained period of time is a condition referred to as hypertension (HTN), or high blood pressure.

The American Heart Association estimates that nearly one in three American adults has high blood pressure. Approximately two-thirds of people over the age of 65 have high blood pressure. Of those people with high blood pressure, 71.8% are aware of their condition. Of all people with high blood pressure, 61.4% are under current treatment, 35.1% have it under control, and 64.9% do not have it controlled.

The cause of 90-95% of the cases of high blood pressure is not known; however, high blood pressure is easily detected and usually controllable.

From 1994 to 2004 the death rate from high blood pressure increased 15.5% and the actual number of deaths rose 41.8%.

Non-Hispanic blacks are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure than are non-Hispanic whites.

Within the African-American community, those with the highest rates of hypertension are more likely to be middle aged or older, less educated, overweight or obese, physically inactive, and diabetic.

In 2004, the death rates per 100,000 people from high blood pressure were 15.6 for white males, 49.9 for black males, 14.3 for white females and 40.6 for black females.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the prevalence of hypertension exceeds 10% in developed nations.

High blood pressure increases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke (lack of blood and oxygen to the brain), which are the leading causes of death among Americans.

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One-third of people with high blood pressure feel “normal"; therefore, it is called the “silent killer.” It is an elevated force of blood pushing against the artery walls. It can go undetected for years causing serious damage before there are signs that something is wrong.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease which is the leading cause of death among Americans. If it is uncontrolled, you are susceptible to kidney failure, a heart attack, a stroke, impaired blood circulation, and damage to the eyes. It is crucial to be proactive in lowering high blood pressure. 

The number to know is 120/80. The top number is the force of the blood when the heart is working. The bottom number is the force of the blood when the heart is relaxing. Put it on Facebook, in your iPhone, make it a screensaver, flag it anyway you choose, as long as you know that a normal blood pressure is 120/80. See your doctor for any number higher.

High blood pressure is not reserved for a specific age, ethnicity, or sex; partly because, the fast paced lifestyle of many Americans lends itself to a fried, salty, sugary, super-sized diet. Who has high blood pressure? You are more likely to have it if:

• your exercise is flipping channels with a remote.
• your muffin top is not on a pastry menu.
• your happy hour last hours.
• you can be mistaken for a chimney.
• you are awakened by the melody of your own snoring.
• you are usually seconds from a spontaneous combustion.

In essence, high blood pressure is more likely to occur in an inactive, exhausted, overweight smoker who handles stress by drinking more than 1-2 alcoholic beverages a day. 

Other risk factors for high blood pressure that cannot be modified are:

• family history - it is diagnosed amongst close blood relatives; 
• age - as you age, blood vessels loose flexibility leading to high blood pressure; and
• race - African Americans develop high blood pressure earlier than whites and often have more complications.

The key is distinguishing the modifiable from the non-modifiable risks. Seek advice from your physician. Take medications as prescribed. Lifestyle changes may help reduce the number of medicines required. In some cases, the doctor may be able to stop them!

The next time you say no to the shake and bake, yes to the salt, or drive pass the gym, remember you may be that one-third who has high blood pressure while feeling “normal.”