30 Percent of adults between the age of 30 and 70 in Western Europe and U.S. have high blood pressure.
One-third of these people don't know they have it. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to a stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure. This is why high blood pressure is often called a "silent killer." The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked regularly.
The lower (diastolic) number represents the pressure when the heart is resting between beats.
The systolic pressure is always stated first and the diastolic pressure second. For example: 118/76 (118 over 76); systolic = 118, diastolic = 76.
Am I at Risk?
If you're an adult and your blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg or above, you have hypertension and are at higher risk for heart disease, stroke and other medical problems. See a doctor and learn how to manage your blood pressure and how often to have it checked. High blood pressure has no symptoms, so if you haven't had it checked in a while, make an appointment now.
Medical science doesn't understand why most cases of high blood pressure occur, so it's hard to say how to prevent it. However, we do know that several factors may contribute to high blood pressure and raise your risk for heart attack and stroke.
Controllable risk factors
Obesity - People with a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher are more likely to develop high blood pressure.
Eating too much salt - A high sodium intake increases blood pressure in some people.
Drinking too much alcohol - Heavy and regular use of alcohol can increase blood pressure dramatically.
Lack of physical activity - An inactive lifestyle makes it easier to become overweight and increases the chance of high blood pressure.
Stress - This is often mentioned as a risk factor, but stress levels are hard to measure, and responses to stress vary from person to person.
Uncontrollable risk factors
Race - Blacks develop high blood pressure more often than whites, and it tends to occur earlier and be more severe.
Heredity - If your parents or other close blood relatives have high blood pressure, you're more likely to develop it.
Have your blood pressure checked regularly.
On Monday and Thursday between 9.30 and 10.00 you can always come to our centre to check your blood pressure for free.