High Blood Pressure
High Blood Pressure (hypertension) is a measure of the pressure or force of blood against the walls of your blood vessels called arteries. The top number represents the pressure when your heart contracts and pushes blood out (systolic) and the bottom number is the lowest pressure when the heart relaxes between beats (diastolic)
Blood pressure that is consistently more than 140 / 90 mm Hg is considered high, but if you have diabetes, 130 / 80 mm Hg is high. Normal blood pressure is below 120 / 80 mm Hg. High blood pressure is known as the "silent killer" because many do not even know they have it. Uncontrolled or untreated high blood pressure puts you at risk for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
From: Heart and Stroke Foundation, High blood pressure, 2010
Information for caregivers :
It is important that individuals with high blood pressure receive support from loved ones to help keep their blood pressure in check through health eating, attaining a healthy weight, being active, taking medications, dealing with stress and monitoring blood pressure regularly. The following are patient and caregiver-focused resources.