High Blood Pressure Hypertension and Prehypertension

We know that blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of our arteries, and every time the heart is beating it pumps blood through these arteries.

Our blood pressure is at its highest when the heart is actually beating and forcing blood into our arteries.  This is called systolic pressure. 

When the heart is at rest between each beat, the blood pressure then falls.  This is known as the diastolic pressure. Blood pressure is always given as two numbers, the systolic and diastolic pressures and both are important. The systolic pressure is the top number, and the diastolic pressure is the bottom number (for example, 120/80).  If your blood pressure is 130/80, you would say it is "130 over 80".

The medical terminology for high blood pressure is hypertension. High blood pressure can be dangerous because it makes the heart work much too hard and contributes to a medical condition called atherosclerosis (which is hardening of the arteries in the body). 

High blood pressure also increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are one of the most predominant causes of death among people living in westernised countries.

Plus there is also an increased risk of dementia. High blood pressure can also result in other medical conditions, such as kidney disease, congestive heart failure and even sightlessness.

A blood pressure level of 140-50/90 mmHg or higher is considered to be too high a blood pressure. It's been found that approximately two-thirds of people over the age 65 have high blood pressure within this particular range which usually needs treating.

However if your blood pressure is between the range of 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg, then you have a medical condition known as prehypertension.

This means that even though you don't suffer from high blood pressure now, you are very likely to develop it or you are at risk of developing it in the future. Therefore you should take steps to avoid the beginning of high blood pressure by adopting a more healthy way of life.

Those who don't suffer from high blood pressure in their mid 50's unfortunately have an approximate 90% chance of developing it at some later stage in their lifetime. So it can be concluded that high blood pressure is a condition most people suffer from at some point in their lives.

Both numbers in a blood pressure test are important, but for people who are 50 or older, the systolic pressure which is the top number in the reading gives the most accurate diagnosis of high blood pressure. A reading approaching 140 mmHg or above can be considered to be high.