SHOWCASE | 2018
H ealth
High Blood Pressure -
Hypertension
Contents
1.
Overview
2. Causes
3. Diagnosis
4. Treatment
5.
Prevention
High blood pressure, or hypertension, rarely has
noticeable symptoms. But if untreated, it increases
your risk of serious problems such as heart attacks
and strokes. More than one in four adults in the
UK have high blood pressure, although many won’t
realise it.
The only way to find out if your blood pressure is
high is to have your blood pressure checked.
What is high blood pressure?
Blood pressure is recorded
with two numbers. The
systolic pressure
(higher number) is the force at
which your heart pumps
blood around your body.
The diastolic pressure (lower
number) is the resistance to
the blood flow in the blood vessels.
They’re both measured in millimetres of
mercury (mmHg). As a general guide:
•
high blood pressure is considered to be
140/90mmHg or higher
•
ideal blood pressure is considered to be be-
tween 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg
•
low blood pressure is considered to be
90/60mmHg or lower
A blood pressure reading between 120/80mmHg
and 140/90mmHg could mean you’re at risk of de-
veloping high blood pressure if you don’t take steps
to keep your blood pressure under control.
Risks of high blood pressure
If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain
on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such
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