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Assessing High Blood Pressure
The following standards for assessing high blood pressure (with-
out regard to age) have been established as a guideline.
SOURCE: The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on
Prevention, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure.
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute - May 2003.
What Is Hypertension?
Hypertension (high blood pressure) is the diagnosis given when
readings consistently rise above normal. It is well known that
hypertension can lead to stroke, heart attack or other illness if left
untreated. Referred to as a “silent killer” because it does not
always produce symptoms that alert you to the problem, hyperten-
sion is treatable when diagnosed early. Those who fall within the
Prehypertensive range are more likely to develop hypertension in
the future.
Can Hypertension Be Controlled?
In many individuals, hypertension can be controlled by altering
lifestyle and minimizing stress, and by appropriate medication pre-
scribed and monitored by your doctor. The American Heart
Association recommends the following lifestyle suggestions to pre-
vent or control hypertension:
Don’t smoke. Have regular physical
Reduce salt and fat intake. checkups.
Maintain proper weight. Monitor your blood
Exercise routinely. pressure at periodic intervals.
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In Canada (Toll-Free): 1-800-461-0991
ABOUT BLOOD PRESSURE
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What Is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against the walls of
the arteries. Systolic pressure occurs when the heart contracts;
diastolic pressure occurs when the heart expands. Blood pressure
is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).
What Affects Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is affected by many factors: age, weight, time of day,
activity level, climate, altitude and season. Certain activities can
significantly alter blood pressure. Walking can raise systolic pres-
sure by 12 mmHg and diastolic pressure by 5.5 mmHg. Sleeping
can decrease systolic blood pressure by as much as 10 mmHg.
Taking your blood pressure repeatedly without waiting an interval
of 5 to 10 minutes between readings, or without raising your arm
to allow blood to flow back to the heart, can also affect it.
In addition to these factors, beverages containing caffeine or alco-
hol, certain medications, emotional stress and even tight-fitting
clothes can make a difference in the readings.
What Causes Variations In Blood Pressure?
An individual’s blood pressure varies greatly from day to day and
season to season. In hypersensitive individuals, these variations
are even more pronounced. Normally, blood pressure rises during
work or play and falls to its lowest levels during sleep.
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LifeSource Health Line (Toll-Free): 1-888-726-9966
ABOUT BLOOD PRESSURE
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BP Classification Systolic (mmHg) Diastolic (mmHg)
Normal <120 and <80
Prehypertension 120-139 or 80-89
Stage 1 Hypertension 140-159 or 90-99
Stage 2 Hypertension ≥160 or ≥100
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