National Women's Blood Pressure Awareness Week October 11-17, 2020
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a significant risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Blood pressure is the force your blood makes against your artery walls when your heart beats. If this force is too high, it can damage your arteries.
High blood pressure usually shows no symptoms. Regularly checking and monitoring your blood pressure helps you know when it is elevated and what impacts your blood pressure. Measure your blood pressure to find out your numbers:
Systolic (the top number) is the pressure as your heart beats or pumps blood into your arteries.
Diastolic (the bottom number) is the pressure when your heart is at rest.
To lower your risk of heart disease and stroke, try to maintain your blood pressure at less than 120 systolic/80 diastolic.
