Do you really understand what your blood pressure numbers mean and why they’re so important for your overall health?
While most of us go to the doctor’s office or measure our own blood pressure, many people aren’t certain how to interpret the results or why we need to monitor them. Fortunately, understanding what your blood pressure numbers mean and their significance isn’t all that difficult.
Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against the walls of blood vessels as it flows through them. It’s an important indicator of cardiovascular health.
In blood pressure readings, two numbers are recorded: Systolic blood pressure, the force exerted by the blood against the arteries when the heart beats, and diastolic blood pressure, the force exerted by the blood against the arterial walls when the heart is resting between beats. The first number, which is always larger, is systolic blood pressure, and the second is diastolic.
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg), a measure of pressure.
How High is Too High?
When blood pressure is too high, it’s described as hypertension—too much tension on blood vessels.
Stage 1 hypertension is when systolic blood pressure consistently hits 130–139 mmHg or if diastolic reaches 80–89 mmHg. Stage 2 hypertension is when systolic pressure is consistently at least 140 mmHg or diastolic is at least 90 mmHg.
Readings that suddenly exceed 180 systolic or 120 diastolic require immediate medical attention and constitute a hypertensive crisis.
Even without reaching that crisis state, however, high blood pressure still creates problems. When either number is too high for too long, “it causes all kinds of bad things,” Dr. Niteesh Choudhry, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told American Heart Association News.
These problems include stroke, heart attacks, kidney disease, and other chronic illnesses.
A Common Condition
High blood pressure is a common condition among U.S. adults, affecting nearly half of the population. Although hypertension can lead to serious health issues, many people remain unaware that they have it because of the lack of symptoms.Regular check-ups and monitoring of blood pressure levels are crucial to identifying and managing the condition. By taking preventive measures, such as making dietary or lifestyle changes and ensuring early detection, we can reduce the dangers of hypertension.
High blood pressure develops over time and can be caused by various things. Some of the most common risk factors include being overweight, not getting enough physical activity, eating a poor diet or too much sodium, smoking, and not getting good sleep. Family history, increasing age, diabetes, and gender can also affect hypertension risk.
Since most causes of high blood pressure are lifestyle-related, the good news is that they can be changed. Making simple lifestyle changes such as reducing the consumption of processed foods, getting recommended exercise, and getting plenty of sleep can help reduce the risk of hypertension.
