Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as the blood travels through the body. Systolic pressure is what is read when your heart contracts. When your heart is at rest, or in between beats, it is called diastolic pressure.
High blood pressure means the heart has to beat harder to carry the blood through your body. An ideal blood pressure reading is 120 over 80. Anything higher than 140 over 90 is considered high blood pressure.
In about 95 percent of cases, the cause of hypertension is unknown. In the remaining cases, hypertension is a result of other medical conditions such as diabetes, pregnancy or Cushing’s disease. Certain drugs, including contraceptives and steroids can also raise blood pressure levels.
To learn more about Hypertension, please contact the American Heart Association at 800-242-8721. You can also visit them online at www.americanheart.org.
Phone code: 1743
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