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Blood pressure is a measure of
the force of blood pumped from the
heart against the walls of your
arteries (or blood vessels). It
reflects how high the pressure in
your arteries is to raise a column
of mercury (similar to the way your
temperature raises mercury in a
thermometer), and is recorded as
millimeters of mercury (mmHg).
Blood pressure is read as two
numbers: a top number (systolic
pressure), or the pressure of blood
in the vessels as the heartbeats;
and a bottom number (diastolic
pressure), or the pressure of the
blood between heartbeats. Although
the average blood pressure reading
for adults is 120/80, a slightly
higher or lower reading (for either
number) may not be a problem. If you
have heart disease or major risk
factors such as smoking, high
cholesterol, diabetes, family
history of heart disease or high
blood pressure, or have gone through
menopause (stopped having periods),
your health care provider will help
you aim for a lower blood pressure.
High blood pressure (or
hypertension) in adults is defined
as blood pressure that consistently
exceeds 140/90 normally. Ask your
health care provider to tell you
what your blood pressure number is
and what this means to you. Talk
with your health care provider about
ways to prevent, and if needed, to
lower your blood pressure and about
how often you need to have your
blood pressure rechecked.
Many older people develop a form of
high blood pressure called isolated
systolic hypertension (ISH), which
occurs when the top (systolic)
number is high but the bottom
(diastolic) number is normal. This
type of high blood pressure also
requires monitoring and treatment by
your health care provider.
Content Courtesy : www.4woman.gov
The information provided herein
is intended for your general
knowledge only and is not a
substitute for medical advice or
treatment for specific medical
conditions. The information should
not be used during any medical
emergency or for the diagnosis or
treatment of any medical condition.
A licensed physician should be
consulted for diagnosis and
treatment of any and all medical
conditions.
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