High Blood Pressure

What is blood pressure anyway and why is it so important? Blood-pressure is the force of blood exerted on the inside walls of blood vessels. It is expressed as a ratio (eg 120/80). The first, top number is the systolic pressure or the peak pressure when the heart pushes blood out into the arteries. The second, bottom number is the diastolic pressure or the lowest pressure when the heart rests. Your blood-pressure normally varies during the day. It's generally lowest at night and increases in the morning to reach a peak in the afternoon. It increases during activity and decreases at rest.

Normal blood-pressure is less than 120/80 points, although that seems to change from time to time based on recommendations from the American Medical Association. Higher levels of blood-pressure (hypertension), a condition referred to as the "silent killer," can develop for years without any signs or symptoms. Left untreated, the damage high blood-pressure causes to blood vessels and vital organs increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, heart failure, dementia and blindness.

Luckily, high blood-pressure is manageable and lowering it can greatly reduce your risk of developing associated life-threatening conditions. For example, lowering blood-pressure by small amount such as 14 systolic points for 5 years has been shown to provide:

* 37% reduction in strokes
* 55% reduction in congestive heart failure
* 27% reduction in heart attacks

Exercise, diet, lifestyle management and rest are all components in attempting to lower blood pressure. If you are unable to lower your blood pressure on your own, medication may be prescribed by your doctor to assist you in lowering your blood pressure.