Hypertension
High Blood Pressure (also known as Hypertension)
High blood pressure is a common and dangerous condition. It raises the risk for heart disease and stroke which are the leading cause of death in United States. It has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not know if they have it. The only way to know it is to measure your blood pressure.
About 75 million American adults (32%) have high blood pressure which is 1 in every 3 adults.
Some Risk Factors for High Blood Pressure
Medical conditions like Prehypertension and diabetes could increase the risk.
Unhealthy behaviors like:
- Smoking tobacco
- High sodium and low potassium consumption
- Inadequate physical activity
- Obese/Overweight
- Drinking too much alcohol
Know your numbers:
Normal
Systolic: less than 120 mmHg
Diastolic: less than 80 mmHg
At Risk (Prehypertension)
Systolic: 120-130 mmHg
Diastolic: 80-89 mmHg
High/Hypertension
Systolic: 140 mmHg or higher
Diastolic: 90 mmHg or higher