High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, means the force of the blood pushing against the walls of your arteries is consistently too high. This condition forces the heart to work harder to pump blood through the body
. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and recorded as two numbers: the systolic pressure (top number), which measures the pressure when the heart beats, and the diastolic pressure (bottom number), which measures the pressure when the heart rests between beats
. The American Heart Association and other health organizations categorize blood pressure as follows:
- Normal: Less than 120/80 mm Hg
- Elevated: Systolic 120–129 mm Hg and diastolic less than 80 mm Hg
- Stage 1 Hypertension: Systolic 130–139 mm Hg or diastolic 80–89 mm Hg
- Stage 2 Hypertension: Systolic 140 mm Hg or higher or diastolic 90 mm Hg or higher
- Hypertensive Crisis: Higher than 180/120 mm Hg, requiring immediate medical attention
High blood pressure often has no symptoms, which is why it is called a "silent killer." If untreated, it can damage arteries and lead to serious health problems such as heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and vision loss
. In summary, high blood pressure means your blood is exerting too much force on your artery walls consistently, increasing your risk for dangerous cardiovascular events and requiring monitoring and management
