The following table provides recommendations from the American Heart Association. 100-109 Check with your doctor within 1 month. It's a major cause of disability and premature death. It contributes to heart attacks, strokes and kidney problems. Hypertension affects about one of every four American adults.
Blood pressure is the result of two forces.
One is created by your heart as it pumps blood into the arteries. The other is created by the arteries as they resist the blood flow from the heart. Like a nozzle on a water hose, the arteries can contract or expand and change the flow of blood through the them. If they contract or press two much, the heart must work harder and blood pressure rises. In most cases the cause of hypertension is unknown.