Hypertension
High blood pressure (also called hypertension) currently affects more than 65 million in the United States; that's 1 in every 3 adults.
A blood pressure measurement of 160/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) is expressed verbally as "160 over 80." stage 2 hypertension is greater than 160 mmHg systolic and less than 80 mmHg diastolic.
| Blood pressure readings for adults age 18 years and older |
| Hypertension | Systollic (mm Hg) | Diastollic (mm Hg) |
| Stage 1 | 140-159 | 90-99 |
| Stage 2 | 160+ | 100+ |
High blood pressure can cause
- blood vessels in your kidneys to narrow, which can cause kidney failure, and blood vessels in your eyes to burst or bleed, which may cause vision changes and can result in blindness.
- arteries throughout your body to "harden" faster, especially those in your heart, brain, kidneys, and legs. This can cause a heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure, or lead to amputation of part of the leg.
A blood pressure reading of 120/80 mmHg or less is considered normal. Usually, the lower, the better, although very low blood pressure can sometimes be a cause for concern and should be checked out by your doctor.
If either your systolic or diastolic blood pressure is higher than normal (120/80) but not high enough to be considered high blood pressure (140/90), you have pre-hypertension. Pre-hypertension is a top number between 120 and 139 or a bottom number between 80 and 89 mmHg. For example, blood pressure readings of 138/82, 128/70, or 115/86 are all in the "pre-hypertension" range.
If you have pre-hypertension, your chances of developing high blood pressure are greater than average unless you take action to prevent it. In fact, having pre-hypertension doubles a woman's chances of having heart disease or a stroke. That's a 100 percent increase. For men, the increase is 45 percent.
