Posted on May 15, 2020 by Jenny Cromack

Did you know that the 17th May is National Hypertension Day? Some of you may be reading this and thinking what is hypertension? This short blog aims to help you get a better understanding of blood pressure and what hypertension is about?

What Is Hypertension?

Often when we get our blood pressure measured we get told it’s ‘normal’ , ‘high’ or ‘low’ but what does this actually mean? Simply put, hypertension is high blood pressure. Conversely, hypotension would be low blood pressure.

Blood pressure is made up of two readings – systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure is the higher of the two numbers and is the force at which your heart pumps blood around your body. Diastolic blood pressure, the lower of the two numbers, is the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels. Both of these reading are measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).

Know Your Numbers

According to the NHS website…

Normal blood pressure is anywhere between 90-60 – 120/80mm Hg

Low blood pressure is classed as below 90/60 mmHg

High blood pressure is any reading of 140/90 mmHg or above.

However, it’s important to note that if your blood pressure falls between 120/80mmHg to 140/90mmHg, this doesn’t mean that you are ‘safe’. You still need to take the necessary steps to make sure that you don’t develop high blood pressure in the future?

The Stats

Hypertension is often known as ‘the silent killer’ as many people are simply unaware that they have it, if you have any concerns about your blood pressure then see your GP and get it checked. According to the International Society of Hypertension….

Hypertension is the number 1 contributing risk factor for global deaths, causing strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications

More then 10 million lives are lost each year due to hight blood pressure

BUT……only half of people with high blood pressure know they have high blood pressure. Therefore it’s important to get your blood pressure checked on a regular basis.

What Can Cause High Blood Pressure?

  • Low physical activity levels
  • Being overweight – more weight puts the body under more pressure so often leads to higher blood pressure
  • High levels of salt, caffeine and alcohol
  • Low fruit and vegetable consumption
  • Smoking
  • Poor sleep quality or not enough sleep

It’s important to note that everyone is different so what is classed as ‘normal’, ‘low’ or ‘high’ for one person might be different for another. This article is meant to be a guide, if you do have any concerns about your blood pressure then you should contact your local GP.