“There are no obvious signs or symptoms of high blood
pressure, so you may not know you have it.
That’s why it’s important to have regular check-ups to…”.1

Umbrella

What may the High Blood Pressure Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Essential Hypertension
  • High Blood Pressure (HBP)
  • Hypertension
  • Idiopathic Hypertension
  • Primary Hypertension

Blood Pressure

What is blood pressure (BP)?

DotS the definition of BP may vary. The (United States) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) definition is:

“Blood pressure is the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Arteries carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body”.2

High Blood Pressure

What is high blood pressure (HBP)?

DotS the definition of HBP may vary. The British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) definition is:

“The medical term for high blood pressure is ‘hypertension’, and it means your blood pressure is always too high. This means your heart is working harder when pumping blood around your body”.3

Hypertension

What is hypertension?

DotS the definition of hypertension may vary. In Hypertension the World Health Organization’s definition is:

“Hypertension, also known as high or raised blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure”.4

Normal Blood Pressure

What is a normal BP?

In High Blood Pressure: What Is High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) the (United States) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) explain:

“Blood pressures are written as two numbers separated by a slash like this: 120/80 mm Hg. You can say this as “120 over 80 millimeters of mercury” or just as “120 over 80.” The first number is your systolic pressure — that’s the force of the blood flow when blood is pumped out of the heart. The second number is your diastolic pressure, which is measured between heartbeats when the heart is filling with blood”.

Your blood pressure changes throughout the day based on your activities. A healthy systolic blood pressure is less than 120 mm Hg. A healthy diastolic pressure is less than 80 mm Hg. Your blood pressure is high when you have consistent systolic readings of 130 mm Hg or higher, or diastolic readings of 80 mm Hg or higher”.5

High Blood Pressure Diagnosis

How is HBP diagnosed?

In High Blood Pressure: About High Blood Pressure – Definition of High Blood Pressure: What Is High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)? the CDC elaborate on:

“The guidelines used to diagnose high blood pressure may differ from one health care provider to another:

  • Some health care professionals diagnose patients with high blood pressure if their blood pressure is consistently 140/90 mm Hg or higher….
  • Other health care professionals diagnose patients with high blood pressure if their blood pressure is consistently 130/80 mm Hg or higher…”.6

Signs and Symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of HBP?

In Blood Pressure and Your Heart: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Pressure? the Heart Foundation of Australia note:

“There are no obvious signs or symptoms of high blood pressure, so you may not know you have it. That’s why it’s important to have regular check-ups to measure your blood pressure levels and learn how to manage it”.7

Common or Not

How common is HBP?

In the United States, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as at 11 April 2024:

“Nearly half, more than 119 million, American adults have high blood pressure. But only about 1 in 4 of those people have their condition under control. Many people develop high blood pressure when they are in their late 30’s or early 40’s, and it occurs more frequently as people age. However, because of the obesity epidemic, more and more children are also developing high blood pressure”.8

In the United Kingdom (UK), according to the BHF as at March 2023:

“As many as 5 million adults in the UK have undiagnosed high blood pressure and don’t know they are at risk”.9

Cause

What causes HBP?

In High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): What Causes High Blood Pressure? the BHF note:

“In most cases, there isn’t a specific reason for the cause of high blood pressure, but most people develop it because of their diet, lifestyle or medical condition”.10

Alcohol

Is there an association between alcohol and HBP?

In Alcohol: Does It Affect Blood Pressure? the (United States) Mayo Clinic elaborate on:

“Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than three drinks in one sitting temporarily raises blood pressure. Repeated binge drinking can lead to long-term increases in blood pressure”.11

Menopause

Is there an association between menopause and HBP?

In High Blood Pressure and Women: Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure and Menopause the AHA’s Go Red for Women note:

High Blood Pressure“While you may have had normal blood pressure most of your life, your chances of developing high blood pressure increase considerably after menopause.

Heart disease risk rises for everyone as they age, but for women symptoms can become more evident after the onset of menopause”.12

In Menopause and High Blood Pressure: What’s the Connection? Is There A Connection Between Menopause and High Blood Pressure? the (United States) Mayo Clinic elaborate on:

“Blood pressure generally goes up after menopause. Some health care providers think changing hormones related to menopause may cause blood pressure to rise. Others think an increase in body mass index (BMI) during menopause may be to blame.

Changes in hormones during menopause can lead to weight gain. The changes also can make blood pressure more sensitive to salt in the diet. When this happens, blood pressure can go up. Some types of hormone therapy for menopause also may lead to higher blood pressure”.13

Early Detection

Why is early detection of HBP important?

In High Blood Pressure–Understanding the Silent Killer: Why Is It Important To Know If You Have High Blood Pressure?  FDA explain:

“Early detection of high blood pressure is very important. Often referred to as the “silent killer” because it may show no symptoms, high blood pressure puts you at an increased risk for heart disease, heart failure, and stroke, among other things”.14

Health Care Provider

What if I think I have HBP?

If you think you have HBP, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this. The BHF explain:

“The only way to know whether you have high blood pressure is to have it measured. So, it’s important to get your blood pressure checked”.15

In High Blood Pressure: Managing High Blood Pressure – Creating A Care Plan With Your Health Care Team the CDC elaborate on:

“You and your health care team can work together to create a care plan for your high blood pressure and other conditions that can lead to high blood pressure. Discuss your treatment plan regularly and bring a list of questions to your appointments”.16

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to High Blood Pressure?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Links

Where may I find Links related to High Blood Pressure?

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Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Blood Pressure and Your Heart: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Pressure? Last Updated: 13 June 2024. Heart Foundation of Australia https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/Bundles/Your-heart/Blood-pressure-and-your-heart Accessed: 16 October 2024
  2. High Blood Pressure: About High Blood Pressure – Definition of Blood Pressure. 15 May 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/high-blood-pressure/about/ Accessed: 16 October 2024
  3. High Blood Pressure: What Is High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)? Page Last Updated: March 2023. British Heart Foundation https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/conditions/high-blood-pressure.aspx Accessed: 16 October 2024
  4. Hypertension. World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-topics/hypertension#tab=tab_1 Accessed: 16 October 2024
  5. High Blood Pressure: What Is High Blood Pressure (Hypertension). Last Updated: 25 April 2024. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/high-blood-pressure Accessed: 16 October 2024
  6. High Blood Pressure: About High Blood Pressure – Definition of High Blood Pressure: What Is High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)? 15 May 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/high-blood-pressure/about/ Accessed: 16 October 2024
  7. Blood Pressure and Your Heart: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Pressure? Last Updated: 13 June 2024. Heart Foundation of Australia https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/Bundles/Your-heart/Blood-pressure-and-your-heart Accessed: 16 October 2024
  8. High Blood Pressure–Understanding the Silent Killer: Who Is Affected By High Blood Pressure? Content Current As of: 11 April 2024. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/drugs/special-features/high-blood-pressure-understanding-silent-killer Accessed: 16 October 2024
  9. High Blood Pressure: Where Can I Get My Blood Pressure Measured or Tested? Page Last Updated: March 2023. British Heart Foundation https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/risk-factors/high-blood-pressure Accessed: 16 October 2024
  10. High Blood Pressure: What Causes High Blood Pressure? Page Last Updated: March 2023. British Heart Foundation https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/conditions/high-blood-pressure.aspx Accessed: 16 October 2024
  11. Alcohol: Does It Affect Blood Pressure? 20 October 2022. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/expert-answers/blood-pressure/faq-20058254 Accessed: 16 October 2024
  12. High Blood Pressure and Women: Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure and Menopause. American Heart Association https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/why-high-blood-pressure-is-a-silent-killer/high-blood-pressure-and-women Accessed: 16 October 2024
  13. Menopause and High Blood Pressure: What’s the Connection? Is There A Connection Between Menopause and High Blood Pressure? 11 July 2023. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/expert-answers/menopause-and-high-blood-pressure/faq-20058406 Accessed: 16 October 2024
  14. High Blood Pressure–Understanding the Silent Killer: Why Is It Important To Know If You Have High Blood Pressure? Content Current As of: 11 April 2024. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/drugs/special-features/high-blood-pressure-understanding-silent-killer Accessed: 16 October 2024
  15. High Blood Pressure: Where Can I Get My Blood Pressure Measured or Tested? Page Last Updated: March 2023. British Heart Foundation https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/conditions/high-blood-pressure.aspx Accessed: 16 October 2024
  16. High Blood Pressure: Managing High Blood Pressure – Creating A Care Plan With Your Health Care Team. 15 May 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/high-blood-pressure/living-with/index.html Accessed: 16 October 2024
Topic Last Updated: 16 October 2024 – Topic Last Reviewed: 16 October 2024