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Monday, August 18, 2008

High Blood Pressure






What is High Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the force of blood flow inside your blood vessels. When you have your blood pressure checked, remember to ask what it is. You'll get two numbers, such as 120 / 80. You'll hear them say it as “one-twenty over eighty.” Both numbers are important.

The first number is the pressure as your heart beats and pushes blood through the blood vessels. This is the systolic (sis-STALL-ick) pressure. The second number is the pressure when the blood vessels relax between heartbeats. It's called the diastolic (DYE-ah-STALL-ick) pressure

You should always have an idea of what your blood pressure is, just as you know your height and weight.
Here's where the numbers fall:

Healthy blood pressure: below 120/80
Early high blood pressure: numbers between 120/80 and 140/90
High blood pressure: 140/90 or higher

When your blood moves through your vessels with too much force, you have high blood pressure, or hypertension. Your heart has to work harder when blood pressure is high, and your risk for heart disease and diabetes goes up. High blood pressure is a problem that won’t go away without treatment and changes to your diet and lifestyle.

How will I know if I have high blood pressure?

High blood pressure is a silent problem -- you won't know you have it unless your health care provider checks your blood pressure. Have your blood pressure checked at each regular health care visit, or at least once every 2 years (people without diabetes or other risk factors for heart disease). If you have diabetes, you should get your blood pressure checked at every office visit, or at least two to four times a year

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