What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the pressure of blood in your arteries. The higher your blood pressure the greater your risk of developing narrowed arteries which can lead to heart problems and strokes. The good news is that if your blood pressure is high, it can be lowered by making changes to your lifestyle, for example changing your diet, exercising and losing weight, and when needed, with tablets. This will reduce your risk of developing heart and brain problems that might otherwise occur if your blood pressure is not treated. However, in many people, blood pressure is not checked or measured, and in some people who have high blood pressure it may not be treated adequately.

Your heart pumps blood around your body through a network of tubing called arteries. Every time your heart pumps it forces blood through these arteries and into smaller blood vessels called capillaries. The force that your heart produces in your arteries when it pumps is called your blood pressure. When the heart contracts and forces blood through the arteries your blood pressure goes up, when the heart relaxes it goes down.

Why is blood pressure important?

High blood pressure can also be called hypertension; both words mean the same thing. If you have a blood pressure measurement that is consistently more than 140/90mmHg then you have high blood pressure.

What do the numbers mean?

When you have your blood pressure measured, it is written down as two numbers, one over the other like a fraction.

For example:

140/90mmHg

The top number, which is called the systolic pressure, shows the pressure in your arteries when your heart is forcing blood through them. The bottom number, called the diastolic pressure, shows the pressure in your arteries when your heart relaxes. The top number can be anywhere from 90 to 200 and the bottom number can be anywhere from 60 to 140. Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury, which is written down as: mmHg

What should my blood pressure be?

The higher your blood pressure, what ever it is, the higher your risk of heart disease or stroke.

However, a blood pressure of greater than 140/90mmHg is said to be high. If your blood pressure is consistently raised at these levels and above, it will need to be treated, either by making changes to your lifestyle or by taking medication.

This level of 140/90mmHg is the level for high blood pressure for almost everyone, whether you are male or female, young or old. The exception is if you have diabetes. If you have diabetes your blood pressure should be lower than 140/80mmHg.

When you have your blood pressure measured, always ask what it is and keep a record if you can. By doing this you can see whether your blood pressure is stable or is increasing.

source: https://www.bpassoc.org.uk/