What is High Blood Pressure (also called Hypertension)?
Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood against the walls of the artery. The higher your blood pressure, the harder your heart must work to pump blood to the rest of your body. Without proper treatment, High Blood Pressure can lead to many cardiovascular problems, including dilated pumping chamber and valvular defects. There are two measurements that determine your blood pressure: • Systolic: The systolic number reflects the pressure against the arterial walls immediately after the heart pumps. This is the top number in the reading. For example, if your blood pressure is 120/80 (described as 120 over 80), the systolic measurement is 120. • Diastolic: The diastolic number represents the pressure against the arterial walls when your heart is at rest briefly, between heart beats. This is the bottom number in the reading. Using the same example, if your blood pressure is 120 over 80, the diastolic measurement is 80. A normal adult blood pressure measurement is at or below 130 over 85.
