Hearts at risk: Healthy hearts face risks from many different
factors: high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, an
unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and secondhand smoke, among
others. But another common — and often misunderstood — risk
factor is high blood pressure. One in three Americans suffers
from high blood pressure, according to the American Heart
Association (AHA). With February designated as American Heart
Month, now is a great time to understand more about this
condition. Blood pressure is typically recorded as two numbers,
written as a ratio: 118/75 mm Hg. The top number, systolic,
measures pressure in the arteries when a heart beats and the
heart muscle contracts. The bottom number, diastolic, measures
pressure in the arteries between heartbeats (when the heart
muscle rests between beats and refills with blood). The AHA
lists five stages of blood pressure: - Normal: Systolic less
than 120 and diastolic less than 80 - Prehypertension: Systolic
between 120–139 or diastolic between 80–89 -