Blood pressure is the outward pressure that blood exerts on the walls of the arteries as it flows through them. This outward pressure is determined by how much blood the heart pumps and the resistance of artery walls to the blood. Blood that enters and flows through arteries easily results in normal blood pressure. When the heart faces resistance and it must work harder to pump blood through the body, high blood pressure develops. Hypertension is high blood pressure that persists over time.

A blood pressure reading uses two numbers that represent the two phases of the heartbeat. The systolic reading corresponds to blood pressure when the heart contracts; the diastolic reading corresponds to blood pressure when the heart relaxes. Optimal blood pressure is less than 120 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) systolic and less than 80 mmHg diastolic, expressed as 120 over 80 (for example 120/80). A person has hypertension if his or her blood pressure is consistently 140 over 90 mmHg or higher.

Compared to people with normal blood pressure, people with hypertension are 3 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease, 6 times more likely to develop congestive heart failure, and 7 times more likely to have a stroke.

You may join our programs after having completed a cardiovascular specialist examination.