Under pressure: Preventing and managing high blood pressure

Understanding high blood pressure and how to prevent it is a matter of working toward a healthy lifestyle.

You may have had your blood pressure taken before but you may not understand what those numbers mean. The top number is the maximum pressure of force of blood being pumped out of the heart. The bottom number is the minimum force generated when the heart is relaxing. A healthy blood pressure reading is generally 120/80 mmHg and hypertension or high blood pressure is usually defined as blood pressure over 140/90 mmHg.

World Health Day marks the anniversary of the World Health Organization’s formation in 1948. Each year they use the day to pick a public health concern that impacts humanity and this year, the theme is high blood pressure. With that in mind, here’s some more information to help understand blood pressure and what you can do to keep it at a healthy level.

-By Andy Phifer