Blood pressure is a measure of how hard the blood pushes
against the walls of your arteries as it moves through your body.
Your blood pressure consists of two numbers: systolic and
diastolic. The systolic number shows how hard the blood pushes
when the heart is pumping. The diastolic number shows how
hard the blood pushes between heartbeats, when the heart is
relaxed and filling with blood.
High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. Adults should have
a blood pressure of less than 120/80. When blood pressure is
high, it starts to damage the blood vessels, heart, and kidneys.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is called a
“silent killer,” because it doesn’t usually cause symptoms while it
is causing this damage.