Arteries carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body. When the heart pumps blood through the arteries, the blood puts pressure on the artery walls. This is known as blood pressure. Your blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day.

When you have your blood pressure taken, you are given 2 important numbers, such as 130/80. The first number, called systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The second number, called diastolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats.

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is blood pressure that is higher than normal. While your blood pressure will fluctuation throughout the day, having blood pressure that measures consistently above normal may result in a diagnosis of high blood pressure (or hypertension).

There’s only one way to know if you have high blood pressure – by having a doctor or other health professional measure it. Your healthcare provider can diagnose high blood pressure by reviewing your systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels and comparing them to levels found in certain guidelines. In 2017, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association published new guidelines for hypertension management and defined high blood pressure as a blood pressure at or above 130/80 mm Hg, as seen in the table below. The higher your blood pressure levels, the more risk you have for other health problems, such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because it usually has no warning signs or symptoms. If you have high blood pressure, you are not alone. Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, and many people do not even know they have it.

High blood pressure usually develops over time and can develop as you age. It can happen because of unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as not getting enough regular physical activity, or develop during pregnancy. Certain health conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, can also increase the risk for developing high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a serious illness and can damage organs throughout your body including your heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes. When left untreated, hypertension can cause kidney failure, stroke, blindness, heart attacks, and even death. High blood pressure was a primary or contributing cause of death for more than 494,873 people in the United States in 2018. The mortality rate for individuals with blood pressures in the range of hypertensive crisis may be as high as 12.5%. The good news is that, in most cases, you can manage your blood pressure to lower your risk for serious health problems.

Your blood pressure measurements today show that you may be at risk of high blood pressure. While this single blood pressure reading in isolation is not a diagnosis, you may wish to consider discussing today’s results with your healthcare or medical provider to learn more about whether you have high blood pressure and if so how to treat it. People with blood pressure consistently 140/90 mm Hg or higher usually need to take medicine to manage their blood pressure. In addition to blood pressure medicines, making positive lifestyle changes including getting sufficient physical activity each week, not smoking, eating a healthy diet, keeping a healthy weight, and managing stress can also help keep your numbers in a healthy range. Talk with your healthcare provider to learn more about your benefits and risks of different treatment options. By taking action to lower your blood pressure, you can help protect yourself against heart disease, stroke, and other serious health problems.