Blood pressure is the force of
blood pushing against your artery walls. Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood
into
these arteries. The highest blood pressure occurs when your heart beats and is pumping
blood. High blood pressure raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. With high blood
pressure, the arteries may have more resistance against blood flow. Then the heart
must
pump harder to circulate the blood.
Two numbers are used to measure
blood pressure:
-
Top number (systolic
pressure).
This is the pressure inside the artery when the heart beats.
-
Bottom number (diastolic
pressure).
This is the pressure inside the artery when the heart rests
between beats.
Both the systolic and diastolic pressures are recorded as mm Hg (millimeters of
mercury).
Blood pressure is grouped as
normal, elevated, or stage 1 or stage 2 high blood pressure:
-
Normal blood pressure. Lower than 120/lower than 80
-
Elevated blood pressure. 120 to 129/Less than 80
-
Stage 1 high blood pressure. 130 to 139/
or diastolic between 80 and 89
-
Stage 2 high blood pressure. 140 or higher/
or 90 or higher
Your healthcare provider will
recommend a blood pressure goal for you. This will be based on your own unique
circumstances.