High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure (or "hypertension" or HBP) is a serious condition that can lead to heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure or other health problems. "Blood pressure" is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood through the body. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage your body in many ways.

About 1 in 3 adults in the United States has high blood pressure. High blood pressure itself usually has NO symptoms - you can have it for years without even knowing it. During this time, though, it may be slowly damaging your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of your body.

Overview

Knowing your blood pressure numbers is very important, even when you're feeling fine. If your blood pressure is normal, there are many ways that you can work to maintain that healthy level - usually the old "diet and exercise". If your blood pressure is too high, you need to treat it to prevent permanent damage to your body.