Hypertension

Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure — a condition where the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries is consistently too high. Blood pressure is measured in two numbers: systolic (the pressure when your heart beats) over diastolic (the pressure when your heart rests between beats). Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mmHg, while hypertension is generally defined as 130/80 mmHg or higher.

Your blood vessels are flexible tubes designed to expand and contract as blood flows through them. When blood pressure is chronically elevated, it puts excessive strain on the artery walls, damaging them over time and forcing your heart to work harder than it should. This extra workload causes the heart muscle to thicken and stiffen, eventually weakening its ability to pump efficiently.

Hypertension is called the "silent killer" because it rarely causes noticeable symptoms until significant damage has already occurred to the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, or brain. The only reliable way to know if you have hypertension is to have your blood pressure measured regularly. Fortunately, hypertension is highly manageable through a combination of lifestyle modifications and, when necessary, medication.

If your doctor has told you your blood pressure is elevated, understanding hypertension helps you appreciate why treatment is important even though you feel fine. Uncontrolled high blood pressure damages blood vessels throughout the body, accelerating atherosclerosis and increasing the risk of life-threatening cardiovascular events.

Lifestyle modifications — including the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), regular physical activity, limiting alcohol, reducing sodium, managing stress, and maintaining a healthy weight — can reduce blood pressure by 10-20 mmHg in some people, which is comparable to a single blood pressure medication.