What is high blood pressure?

Blood pressure is a measure of how hard blood pushes against the walls of the arteries (blood vessels).  Over time, high blood pressure, known as hypertension, begins to damage the blood vessels, heart, and kidneys. This can lead to heart attack, stroke, and other serious health problems. High blood pressure is often called a 'silent killer' because there are no signs or symptoms.
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Blood pressure is measured with two numbers:

• Systolic (top number) - shows how hard blood pushes when the heart is pumping.
• Diastolic (bottom number) - shows how hard blood pushes between heartbeats.

An ideal blood pressure is less than 120/80. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. Many people fall into the 'at risk' category called prehypertension. These people need to make lifestyle changes to prevent or delay the development of high blood pressure.​

Who is at risk? 

Anyone can develop high blood pressure. However, certain factors can increase the chance of developing high blood pressure. These include:​​​

• Age. Blood pressure tends to rise with age. About 65% of Americans over age 60 have high blood pressure.
• Race/ethnicity. High blood pressure is more common in African American adults than White or Hispanic adults. 
• Overweight. People who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop prehypertension or high blood pressure.
• Gender. Before age 55, men are more likely than women to develop high blood pressure. After age 55, women are more likely to develop high blood pressure.
• Lifestyle. Unhealthy lifestyle habits can contribute to high blood pressure, including stress, drinking too much alcohol, eating too much sodium and lack of physical activity.
• Family history. If a person’s parents or siblings have high blood pressure, they are more likely to develop prehypertension or high blood pressure.
  

What actions can be taken?​​

Whatever a person’s age, they can take steps each day to keep their blood pressure in a healthy range.

• Stop smoking. Cigarette smoking raises blood pressure and puts people at higher risk for heart attack and stroke. For help quitting smoking in Maryland, call the Maryland Tobacco Quitline for free smoking cessation services.
  
• Limit alcohol. Avoid drinking too much alcohol, which can raise blood pressure. Men should have no more than two drinks per day, and women no more than one.
  
• Increase physical activity. Physical activity can help maintain a healthy weight and lower blood pressure. Adults should aim for 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise such as brisk walking or bicycling every week. For tips that make it easier to be active, visit the Move Your Way® website. 
  
• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases risk for high blood pressure. To determine if a person’s weight is in a healthy range, doctors often calculate body mass index (BMI) using height and weight. 
  
• Reduce salt intake. Eating foods low in salt (sodium) and high in potassium can lower blood pressure. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan is one healthy diet that is proven to help people lower their blood pressure.
• Monitor blood pressure at-home. Research shows people with high blood pressure who practice effective at-home monitoring lower their blood pressure significantly more than those who only have blood pressure measured periodically at their doctor's office.  ​​​