High blood pressure, medically known as hypertension, can be caused by weight gain, alcohol and salt intake, older age, and/or family history.
According to the CDC, about 75 million American adults have high blood pressure.
Referred to as the “silent killer”, it’s not a reading that should be taken lightly.
Blood pressure is the measurement of how hard your blood pushes against the walls of your arteries as it moves through your body.
When it’s too high, damage begins to ensue in the blood vessels, heart and kidneys, which can lead to sudden and serious heart issues.
To determine your numbers, two readings are taken with the help of a blood pressure monitor: systolic and diastolic.
The systolic number shows how hard your blood pushes when your heart is pumping and the diastolic number shows how hard the blood pushes between heartbeats.
If your systolic pressure is at 120 and your diastolic pressure is at 80, then your blood pressure reads to be “120 over 80.”
The American Heart Association defines stage 1 hypertension as a blood pressure consistently over 130/80.
This Health & Medicine Lab video talks about how to measure pulse and blood pressure effectively.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies that common painkiller can harm your blood pressure, and common high blood pressure drugs may actually raise blood pressure.
For more information about blood pressure control, please see recent studies about teas that may help reduce high blood pressure, and results showing this recommended high blood pressure drug may have dangerous side effects.
Disclaimer: Any information on diseases and treatments available in this video is intended for general guidance only and must never be considered a substitute for the advice provided by your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care professional with questions you may have regarding your medical condition.
