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Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of the body in vessels called arteries. Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Each time the heart beats (about 60–70 times a minute at rest) it pumps blood into the arteries. Blood pressure is at its highest when the heart beats, pumping the blood, and is called systolic pressure. When the heart is at rest, between beats, blood pressure falls. This is diastolic pressure. Blood pressure is always measured using the systolic and diastolic numbers, and a high blood pressure is a reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher.
When high blood pressure is not found and treated, it can cause heart failure, aneurysms, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure or even amputation.
Please click here for more detailed information about high blood pressure.
Symptoms
There are usually no signs or symptoms of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is called the silent killer because an individual may have it for years without knowing. The only way to know if an individual has high blood pressure is to measure it.
Diagnosis
Using a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope or electronic sensor, a clinician will check the blood pressure several times on different days before diagnosing an individual with high blood pressure. Such a diagnosis is given if repeated readings are 140/90 mmHg or higher, or 130/80 mmHg or higher for patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
Treatment
For most people, treatment will include lifestyle changes (such as improved diet and exercise habits), medication therapy and ongoing care and monitoring.
The Heart and Vascular Center at Providence offers a variety of resources to diagnose and treat patients with high blood pressure:
Physicians
Need current list of relevant physicians.
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