High blood pressure or hypertension is when your blood presses too hard against the walls of your blood vessels and heart, making your heart work harder than usual. High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because it seldom causes symptoms but can gradually damage tissues and organs, leading to heart failure, stroke, or kidney failure.

In young adulthood, more men than women get high blood pressure, but as women age, they catch up and surpass men with this condition. The disease is more common in Hispanic and black women than any other group. Because it is relatively easy to treat, it's important for you to have your blood pressure monitored on a frequent basis.

What Do Those Blood Pressure Numbers Mean?
Your blood pressure changes from moment to moment depending upon your activities. It's lowest while you sleep and highest when you exercise or experience stress. While brief increases in blood pressure are normal, consistently high pressure isn't.

When someone measures your blood pressure, they wrap a cuff around your upper arm and pump air into it until it's tight, restricting your circulation. As air is slowly released from the cuff, the sound of circulating blood can be heard through a carefully placed stethoscope. The first sound is the point of greatest pressure or “systolic” sound and is the top number on your reading. The blood pulsing sound drops off as air continues to release. This point is the “diastolic pressure,” the second number of your reading. But, what do these numbers mean?

A blood pressure reading of 140/90 or higher is classified as high blood pressure if it can be sustained over a period of time. Circumstances should be considered as well. If you are nervous about your doctor’s visit, this stress can elevate your blood pressure higher than normal, for example.

If you consistently have had high readings, your doctor will listen to your heart, shine a light in your eyes to look for tiny hemorrhages in the blood vessels, and may order an electrocardiogram.

Treatment
High blood pressure is usually treated with lifestyle changes and medication. If you've got mild high blood pressure, healthy lifestyle changes will usually solve your problem.

• Lose weight. This is the single most effective way to reduce high blood pressure because your heart doesn't have to work as hard. A combination of a healthy diet and exercise can help you achieve your weight goals.
• Healthy diet. Eating a low-fat diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help you lose weight and more importantly, keep it off.
• Exercise. Not only does exercise help with weight loss, if you do aerobic exercises that increase your heart rate 20–30 minutes several times a week, you'll strengthen your heart, too.
• Reduce salt/sodium. For some people, salt causes their blood pressure to rise. Blacks are often more sensitive to salt than other racial groups. Limit salt/sodium intake to 1–1 ½ teaspoons per day; six grams of salt equals 2,400 milligrams of sodium.
• Reduce stress. Occasionally, stop what you are doing, sit back, relax and take a few deep breaths to help relieve tension. If stress interferes with your daily living, talk with your doctor.

Medications
Many medications are available that can help lower blood pressure. You may have to try several to find the one that works for you so talk with your doctor about any side effects so that adjustments can be made. Sometimes a combination of drugs work best. Because high blood pressure has no symptoms, some people stop taking their medicine because of side effects. It is important that you take your medicine even when feeling fine.

• ACE inhibitor. (ACE stands for angiotensin-converting enzyme.) Stops production of a hormone that makes blood vessels narrow.
• Alpha blockers. These drugs block the effects of a stress hormone called adrenaline which can increase blood pressure.
• Beta blocker. Slows the heart rate, reducing blood pressure. Also used to treat angina.
• Centrally acting drugs. These drugs act on the brain to reduce nerve impulses that can cause blood vessels to narrow.
• Diuretics. Decreases fluid and sodium in the body, thus reducing the volume of blood that the heart has to pump.