Blood pressure, measured with a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope by a nurse or other healthcare provider, is the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls.
Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the arteries, resulting in the highest blood pressure as the heart contracts.
One cannot take his/her own blood pressure unless an electronic blood pressure monitoring device is used. Electronic blood pressure monitors may also measure the heart rate, or pulse.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, directly increases the risk of coronary heart disease (heart attack) and stroke (brain attack).
High blood pressure for adults is defined as 140 mm Hg or greater systolic pressure and 90 mm Hg or greater diastolic pressure. Normal blood pressure is less than 120 mm Hg systolic pressure and Less than 80 mm Hg diastolic pressure.
Systolic and Diastolic Pressure: The higher number, or systolic pressure, refers to the pressure inside the artery when the heart contracts and pumps blood through the body.
The lower number, or diastolic pressure, refers to the pressure inside the artery when the heart is at rest and is filling with blood and it is recorded as "mm Hg".
