Hypertension

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a condition in which the pressure of a person's blood against their arterial walls is consistently too high. Hypertension is often called the ‘silent killer’ because it may present no warning signs or symptoms obvious to the hypertensive individual and therefore may not be detected until another serious medical condition is diagnosed. It is a major risk factor for heart disease, heart failure, and stroke, and can result in other serious medical complications, including blindness and kidney failure.

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg), using a device called a sphygmomanometer. When a person's blood pressure is recorded, it is commonly written as two numbers, for instance, 120/80. The first number is the systolic blood pressure, ...