High Blood Pressure (HBP)

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, refers to the force of blood pushing against artery walls as it courses through the body. Hypertension is the leading cause of stroke and a major cause of heart attack. More than 30 percent of American adults are affected by it. 76.4 million U.S. adults have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. Normal blood pressure rises steadily from about 90/60 at birth to about 120/80 in a healthy adult.

A blood pressure reading appears as two numbers: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. The systolic, the first and higher of the two numbers, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and fills them with blood. The diastolic pressure, second and lower number, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats. It’s normal for blood pressure to vary from person to person, even from one area of your body to another. BP ranges are:

Normal: less than 120 over 80 (120/80)
Prehypertension (at risk for hypertension): between 120/80 and 139/89
Stage 1 high blood pressure: between 140/90 and 159/99
Stage 2 high blood pressure: 160/100 and above.

Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to vision problems, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and many more. Hypertension may also lead to heart failure, a common but disabling condition that can cause breathing problems. There are two types of high blood pressure: primary (essential) hypertension and secondary hypertension. Majority of people with high blood pressure are “salt sensitive,” meaning that minimal salt increases their blood pressure.

Factors that cause hypertension include age, race, obesity, diabetes, stress, lack of physical activity; chronic alcohol consumption and insufficient intake of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Thankfully, high blood pressure can be controlled effectively. Always have your blood pressure checked regularly.

Ask your doctor for a blood pressure reading at least every two years starting at age 18, if you don’t visit the clinic regularly.