Over 40 million Americans are being treated for high blood pressure by a physician. Blood pressure is a measure of the force the heart expends as it pushes blood through the arteries and into the circulatory system. To determine blood pressure, you take two separate measurements. Systolic pressure is the measure of blood pressure while the heart is contracting. Diastolic Pressure is the measure while the heart is resting between contractions. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). A healthy adult might have a blood pressure between 120/70 and 130/80. While there is no universal agreement on what exactly constitutes Hypertension or High Blood Pressure, most authorities consider sustained systolic pressure over 139 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure over 89 mmHg to be a health risk.

High blood pressure means that the heart muscle is working harder than normal, putting both the heart and arteries under an increased strain. When high blood pressure is left untreated, the heart has to labor progressively harder to pump enough blood and oxygen to the body’s organs and tissues. If your heart is forced to labor for an extended time, it is in danger of enlarging, weakening, or even failing completely. Read more »