Your Blood Pressure
What is blood pressure?
Your blood pressure is the force that moving blood puts on your artery walls. When your blood pressure is taken, two numbers are used to show it, like 120/80 (read 120 over 80). The first, or top number, is called the systolic pressure. This is how much pressure is on your arteries when the heart pumps blood out to your body. The second, or bottom number, is called the diastolic pressure. This is how much pressure is there when your blood vessels relax to let the blood flow back into your heart.
peak pressure (systolic)
diastolic pressure
Blood pressure levels are ranked in stages. Each stage gives a range of blood pressure readings and tells how it ranks. The stages are: Rank
Systolic (top number)
Diastolic (bottom number)
High normal (pre-hypertension)
130-39
or
80-89
Stage 1 hypertension
140-159
or
80-89
Stage 2 hypertension
160 or higher
or
100 or higher
Your doctor may adjust your target goal based on how you respond to medicine and lifestyle changes.
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