Basics of High Blood Pressure
Content by: Erin Nugent, RD
Nearly half of adults in the US have high blood pressure. What is high blood pressure? It's important to understand elevated blood pressure, and lifestyle steps for improving your numbers.
❤️🩹 When the heart pumps blood throughout the body, there is pressure placed on the arteries and veins. For some people. that pressure may be consistently higher than normal ranges, or consistently lower.
Too high or too low of blood pressure can create added health risks.
Work with your health professional to understand your numbers and steps that you can take to best manage a healthy blood pressure.
What is Blood Pressure?
The heart pumps blood throughout the body, and the blood puts pressure on the artery walls. Arteries carry blood away from the heart and throughout the rest of the body. Throughout the day, one's blood pressure naturally rises and falls.
What is Hypertension?
Also known as "high blood pressure", hypertension is a consistent elevated blood pressure reading. Hypertension can lead to elevated risk for other health conditions. With typically no warning signs, the best way to detect hypertension is by monitoring blood pressure levels.
What do the numbers mean? *
Normal: <120 mmHg/80mmHG
At Risk (Prehypertension): 120-129mmHg/<80mmHg
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): 130mmHg/80mmHg or higher
*According to Amercian College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults (2017 Guideline)