By Olor

Blood pressure is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. High Blood Pressure also known as high BP or hypertension is the measured blood pressure that is higher than normal; normal being 120/80 mm/Hg. Your blood pressure changes throughout the day based on your activities. Having blood pressure measures consistently above normal values may result in a diagnosis of high blood pressure. The higher your blood pressure levels, the more risk you have for other health problems, such as heart disease, heart attack, stroke etc. the disease is more common among men below the age of 50 than women of the same age, and the chances of developing hypertension increases in women as compared to men after the age of 55.

After diabetes, high blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure, the disease is termed a silent killer because it causes heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, as well as brain damage, according to the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

There is good evidence that lowering high blood pressure with medications lowers the risk of stroke by 35 to 40% and lowers the risk of heart attack by 20 to 25%.

Measurement of the systolic and diastolic blood pressure determines the total reading for blood pressure.

  • Systolic blood pressure, which is the top number, measures the force the heart exerts on the walls of the arteries each time it beats.
  • Diastolic blood pressure, which is the bottom number, measures the force the heart exerts on the walls of the arteries in between beats.

To get an accurate blood pressure measurement, your health care provider typically considers the average of two or more blood pressure readings from three or more office visits. An accurate measurement determines what kind of treatment you may need.

Blood Pressure Levels
The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (2003 Guideline)The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults (2017 Guideline)
Normalsystolic: less than 120 mm/Hg
diastolic: less than 80 mm/Hg
Normalsystolic: less than 120 mm/Hg
diastolic: less than 80 mm/Hg
At Risk (prehypertension)systolic: 120–139 mm/Hg
diastolic: 80–89 mm/Hg
Elevatedsystolic: 120–129 mm/Hg
diastolic: less than 80 mm/Hg
High Blood Pressure (hypertension)systolic: 140 mm/Hg or higher
diastolic: 90 mm/Hg or higher
High blood pressure (hypertension)systolic: 130 mm/Hg or higher
diastolic: 80 mm/Hg or higher

A blood pressure measurement over 180/120 mmHg is called a hypertensive emergency or crisis. Seek emergency medical help for anyone with these blood pressure numbers.

If you are an adult with a 10% risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years, or if you have chronic kidney disease, diabetes or coronary artery disease, your treatment goal is typically less than 130/80 mmHg. If you’re a healthy adult age 65 or older, your treatment goal also is usually less than 130/80 mmHg.

If your blood pressure is OK, maintaining or adopting a healthy lifestyle can prevent or delay the onset of high blood pressure or other health problems. If your blood pressure is high, a healthy lifestyle oftentimes along with medication can help bring it under control and reduce your risk of life-threatening complications.

High blood pressure usually develops over time. It can happen because of unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as not getting enough regular physical activity. Certain health conditions, such as diabetes and being obese, can also increase the risk for developing high blood pressure. On the other hand, High blood pressure can also occur during pregnancy and is often termed pregnancy induced high blood pressure which in turn could lead to a fatal condition known as pre-eclampsia. This kind usually go away after delivery and follow up medications though some lingers on. Usually, high blood pressure has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not know they have it. Measuring your blood pressure is the only way to know whether you have high blood pressure.

EteteOnline Team

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