Guide to Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is a measure of the force that blood exerts on your blood vessels. If the force is too high, then the condition is known as high blood pressure or hypertension.
Your organs and tissues require constant circulation of fresh oxygenated blood to function properly. Apart from carrying oxygen, the blood also carries nutrients and sugar for different parts of your body.
For the blood to circulate, the heart applies force on freshly oxygenated blood by contracting continuously. The blood is then delivered to different parts of your body by a network of capillaries, veins, and arteries. Blood pressure indicates the strength of the force with which the blood pushes against your blood vessels. (1)
Blood Pressure Readings
The blood pressure reading is comprised of two components: systolic and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure refers to the pressure of the blood when it is squeezed out of the heart into the arteries connected directly to the heart. Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure that exists when the heart is not undergoing contraction. Hence, whenever you take blood pressure readings, you should see if the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure are within the safe limits.
How High Blood Pressure Damages Your Health
The reason high blood pressure is so detrimental is that the heart has to work extra hard and the blood vessels also have to endure excessive force. Thus, both the heart and blood vessels can suffer damage as a direct consequence of high blood pressure. Therefore, hypertension indicates the inefficient working of your circulatory system. (2)
Due to the excessive force and friction associated with high blood pressure, the delicate linings within your blood vessels can sustain serious damage. As a result, LDL or bad cholesterol starts depositing on the affected sites to repair tissue damage. The deposition of cholesterol inside the walls of your blood vessels is known as atherosclerosis. (3)
With rising damage, more and more cholesterol deposits on the damaged tissue within your blood vessels. Consequently, with time, the inner diameter of your blood vessels becomes narrower. This leads to a vicious cycle. Narrower arteries mean higher blood pressure and higher blood pressure leads to more damage and further deposition of cholesterol. This narrows down arteries still further to raise blood pressure.
As a result of these developments, different conditions can arise such as stroke, heart attack, and arrhythmia. Therefore, high blood pressure lies at the root of these circulatory health problems. Hypertension can even lead to kidney damage and vision loss. (4)
If you choose to ignore high blood pressure, it could lead to serious health consequences. Hence, hypertension is referred to as the silent killer. That’s because many people who suffer from hypertension are oblivious that their blood pressure readings are beyond the safe limits.
Blood Pressure Readings: Understanding What the Numbers Mean
It is advisable to take blood pressure readings at regular intervals to keep diseases at bay. (5)
Normal blood pressure is less than 120mm Hg for systolic pressure and under 80mm Hg for diastolic pressure.
In case you are suffering from systolic pressure above 180 and diastolic pressure greater than 120, you should consult with a doctor immediately. If your systolic blood pressure ranges from 120 to 129 while your diastolic pressure ranges from 80 to 89, your blood pressure is elevated.
Systolic pressure from 130 to 139 and diastolic pressure from 80 to 89 is stage-1 hypertension.
If your systolic pressure ranges from 140 to 179 while your diastolic pressure ranges from 90 to 119, then you are facing stage-2 hypertension. (6)
High Blood Pressure Facts and Figures
A study published in Lancet discussed the global trends in blood pressure from 1975 to 2015. The data was taken from 1479 surveys that involved over 19 million participants.
After accounting for age and other factors, it was found that the worldwide average blood pressure for males stood at 127/79 mmHg while females had an average value of 122/77 mmHg. Blood pressure values for both males and females did not vary substantially during this period. (7)
In most countries, it has been noted that the average blood pressure rises with age. (8)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, out of 410,000 Americans that died during 2014, high blood pressure was one of the chief reasons for their demise.
It is very disturbing to note that about one in three US adults suffers from some form of hypertension. This amounts to more than 75 million US citizens.
Out of all demographic groups in the US, African-Americans are affected the most in terms of high blood pressure. Over 40 percent of all adult African-American men and women suffer from hypertension. This is one of the highest incidence rates for any ethnic group in the world.
On average, African-Americans suffer from hypertension at an earlier age than the national average. The average blood pressure readings for African Americans are also higher on average compared to other ethnic groups. (9)
Nearly 20 percent of Americans are unaware that they are suffering from high blood pressure. Almost half of all hypertension patients can keep their blood pressure under control. About 74 percent of patients suffering from chronic heart failure, 77 percent of patients who suffer their first stroke, and 69 percent of people who suffer their first heart attack have hypertension. (11)
References
(1) http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Thebasics/Bloodpressure
(2) https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270644.php
(3) http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/pah/pah_what.html
(4) https://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/qa/what-is-blood-pressure
(5) https://medlineplus.gov/ency/anatomyvideos/000013.htm
(7) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)31919-5/fulltext
(8) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3114857/
(11) http://www.measureuppressuredown.com/PR/highBPStats_pr.asp
