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Illustration of how blood pressure is the measurement of force applied to artery walls.About High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of blood against your artery walls as it circulates through your body. Blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day, but it can cause health problems if it stays high for a long time. Having high blood pressure raises your risk for heart disease and stroke, the first and third leading causes of death in the United States.1

High blood pressure is called the "silent killer" because many people don't realize they have it. High blood pressure often has no warning signs or symptoms.


Reference

  1. CDC. Health, United States, 2008. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2008.

 
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