Why Blood Pressure Matters
High blood pressure (hypertension) is called the silent killer for a reason. There are no symptoms. You don't feel elevated blood pressure until it causes a crisis — a heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure. It's estimated that nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, and many don't know it.
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against your artery walls. When it's consistently too high, it damages those walls over time, narrowing arteries, forcing the heart to work harder, and increasing the risk of clots forming. The damage accumulates for years before symptoms appear.
The Numbers Explained
Blood pressure is measured as two numbers, written as a fraction: systolic/diastolic, measured in mmHg (millimeters of mercury).
- Systolic (top number): Pressure when your heart beats and pushes blood out
- Diastolic (bottom number): Pressure when your heart rests between beats
Categories per AHA guidelines:
- Normal: Less than 120/80
- Elevated: 120-129 / less than 80
- High Stage 1: 130-139 / 80-89
- High Stage 2: 140+ / 90+
- Hypertensive Crisis: Higher than 180/120 — seek immediate medical attention
How to Lower It
Lifestyle changes are the first-line treatment for most people with elevated or Stage 1 hypertension:
- Reduce sodium: Sodium directly raises blood pressure in salt-sensitive individuals. Aim for under 2,300mg/day, ideally under 1,500mg.
- Exercise: Regular aerobic exercise can lower systolic BP by 5-8 mmHg.
- Lose weight: Each kilogram lost typically reduces BP by about 1 mmHg.
- Limit alcohol: More than 1-2 drinks per day raises BP.
- DASH diet: A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein specifically designed to lower BP.
Use our blood pressure risk calculator to assess your risk profile.