High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Learn about simple tests that
assess you risk of having a heart attack or stroke? Blood
pressure is the pressure of the blood against the walls of the
arteries. Blood pressure results from two forces. The heart
creates one force as it pumps blood into the arteries and
through the circulatory system. The other is the force of the
arteries as they resist the blood flow. The higher, systolic
number represents the pressure while the heart contracts to pump
blood to the body. The lower, diastolic number represents the
pressure when the heart relaxes between beats. The systolic
pressure is always stated first and the diastolic pressure
second. For example: 118/76 (118 over 76); systolic = 118,
diastolic = 76. According to the American Heart Association,
blood pressure below 120 over 80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury)
is considered ideal for adults. A systolic pressure of 120 to
139 mmHg or a diastolic pressure of 80 to 89 mmHg is considered
"pre–hypertension" and needs to be watched