Blood pressure is the force that blood exerts on the walls of your arteries. Anyone can have hypertension, even if they look and feel healthy. The only way to know if your blood pressure is raised is by having it checked.
Hypertension can have devastating health consequences, such as stroke and heart attack, but there are steps you can take to lower it.
“Around 40% of adults in the UK have blood pressure that needs lowering, so it’s hugely common,” says GP Dr Mike Mead. “It causes stroke, heart attacks, dementia and kidney disease, but it’s treatable. It’s a preventable cause of massive ill health.”
Who's at risk?
You’re more likely to have hypertension if any of the following apply to you:
- You’re overweight.
- You don’t get enough exercise.
- You eat too much salt and/or saturated fat.
- You drink too much alcohol.
- You don’t eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
- You’re of South Asian, African or Caribbean descent.
- There is heart attack, stroke or hypertension in your family.
Your lifestyle can have a big effect on your blood pressure. "Lack of exercise, lots of fatty food like crisps, being in your car or at your computer all day, or not walking anywhere means your blood pressure keeps rising," says Dr Mead. "It rises with age anyway. Most people over the age of 60 to 65 are hypertensive. But some healthy changes to your lifestyle can make a big difference."
If you have diabetes or kidney disease, it is especially important to control your blood pressure.
Compared to the general population, people with diabetes are up to three times more likely to have hypertension, and people with hypertension are more likely to have diabetes.
It is important for people with chronic kidney disease to keep their blood pressure at a healthy level, to control the progression of the kidney disease.
Know your blood pressure
Knowing your blood pressure is key so that you can reduce it if you need to. A doctor, nurse or pharmacist can measure your blood pressure.
You can buy monitoring kits to use yourself, but it’s important to know what the result means and what you need to do about it. Go to the Blood Pressure Association's website for more information on home monitoring kits.
Blood pressure is measured in two numbers, for example 120/80, described as ‘120 over 80’. The first number is the pressure when your heart beats to push blood around your body (systolic), and the second is the pressure when your heart is resting (diastolic).
If your blood pressure is 120/80 or less, this is healthy.
If your blood pressure is 140/90 or more, you have hypertension and need to reduce your blood pressure. This may involve taking medication.
If your blood pressure is between 120/80 and 140/90, it is slightly raised and you need to take some steps to lower it.
Lowering your blood pressure
"There are lots of things you can do in your daily life to lower blood pressure, and they're often quite simple," says Dr Mead.
These include eating less salt, eating a healthy diet, eating more fruit and vegetables, and getting regular exercise. If you're overweight, losing weight will help.
Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist can advise you on how to lower your blood pressure. For more information on healthy lifestyle changes and reducing your blood pressure, see the Useful links on the right.
