About high blood pressure

But try to remember that you're far from alone. High blood pressure is extremely common - in fact, it's thought that around three to four in 10 people in the UK have blood pressure that needs lowering.

The reason high blood pressure needs to be lowered is that if it's left at a high level, it's bad for your health. Over time high blood pressure can lead to serious problems like heart attack and stroke.

The good news is that now you know you have high blood pressure, there's lots that can be done to bring it down to a normal healthy level.

Most people with high blood pressure succeed in lowering it to a healthier level with some simple lifestyle changes and medicines, and go on to lead a normal, full and active life.

What is high blood pressure?

High blood pressure is a term that we're all familiar with, but what does it actually mean?

Well, your blood pressure is the force that blood puts on the walls of your blood vessels as it's pumped through them by your heart. 

If your blood pressure is high, this force is stronger than it should be. That means your heart has to work harder to pump blood round your body and over time, the extra work can cause damage. So, if high blood pressure is left untreated, it can lead to life-threatening health problems, known together as cardiovascular disease and including heart attack and stroke. That's why it's so important to get tested and treated if you're found have raised blood pressure.

How we measure it

Blood pressure can be easily measured by looking at two different numbers - the 'upper' level and the 'lower' level.

• the ''upper level' is at the peak of each heartbeat (systolic pressure)
• the 'lower level' is when your heart is resting between beats (diastolic pressure)

Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury, or mmHg. It's usually given with the systolic pressure first, followed by the diastolic pressure. So, if your blood pressure is '120 over 80', or 120/80mmHg, it means you have a systolic pressure of 120mmHg and a diastolic pressure of 80mmHg.

You're diagnosed as having high blood pressure if it is persistently 140/90mmHg or higher.

Types of high blood pressure

The two main types of high blood pressure are known as primary high blood pressure and secondary high blood pressure.

1. Primary high blood pressure

   This comes on by itself, possibly because of your lifestyle or because there’s a predisposition towards getting high blood pressure in your family.

2. Secondary high blood pressure

   This is where your high blood pressure is caused by another health condition that you already have such as kidney disease or narrowing of your arteries. Secondary high blood pressure can also happen after taking certain medicines such as the oral contraceptive pill, and a type of painkiller known as a non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Some so-called “recreational drugs”, such as cocaine, amphetamines and crystal meth can also bring on high blood pressure.