Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as it moves around your body. It's always given as two numbers.
The top number - systolic pressure - indicates the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and pumps blood.
The bottom number - diastolic pressure - represents the pressure as the heart relaxes between beats. If your systolic pressure is greater than 140 or your diastolic pressure is greater than 95 on several tests you have high blood pressure.
Untreated, high blood pressure can lead to serious problems such as heart attack, stroke and kidney disease. It's sometimes called the silent killer because it usually has no warning signs - you can have high blood pressure and feel perfectly well. The only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is to have it checked.
Risk factors
Smoking, physical inactivity, being overweight or obese, poor nutrition and excessive alcohol consumption can all increase your risk of high blood pressure.
The numbers:
- Aim for: Less than 130/80mmHg. Lower is usually better, although very low blood pressure can sometimes be a cause for concern and should be checked by a doctor.
- Check it: Every 2 years from age 18 if it's normal. More frequently if you have a personal or family history of high blood pressure ("hypertension"), stroke or heart attack.
Jargon buster
mm/Hg: millimetres of mercury - the height of a column of mercury that's supported by the pressure created by the heart pumping blood through the arteries.
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