High Blood Pressure 

What is blood pressure, and what is high blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the amount of pressure (force) blood exerts on the walls of your arteries. Arteries are the "pipes" that carry blood from your heart to all parts of your body. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, happens when your blood puts extra pressure on the walls of your arteries. This extra pressure can increase your risk for stroke, heart disease, and other health problems. You may also have other risks beyond your control for high blood pressure, like race and age.

To measure your blood pressure, your doctor wraps a piece of material called a blood pressure cuff around your upper arm, pumps air into the cuff, listens to the movement of your blood with a device called a stethoscope, and watches an instrument called a manometer.

Your blood pressure is high if the pressure reading is above 140/90 mm Hg. The first number (140) is the systolic pressure, and the second number (90) is the diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the amount of pressure when the heart pumps blood into the arteries. Diastolic pressure is the pressure in the arteries when the heart relaxes between each pump action.

Read more about how to lower high blood pressure.