Our blood pressure is the amount of pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the arteries as it is pumped from the heart throughout the circulatory system. If your blood pressure is chronically too high this is called hypertension. Continual high blood pressure can damage the arteries over the years. Since the heart has to work harder to pump the blood through the arteries the heart can also be damaged. Usually the symptoms of the damage done will not be noticeable until the damage is so great that it is irreversible.
Hypertension is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke.
It is estimated that 40 million Americans have high blood pressure. Since the damage being done by hypertension is a silent killer it is important to have your blood pressure taken regularly. When you get your blood pressure taken two numbers will be given by your doctor. The first number given is the systolic pressure, this number is also the highest number. The systolic pressure is the amount of pressure that is exerted against the artery walls during the heart beat.