High blood pressure (hypertension)

Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood inside your arteries. These are the vessels that carry blood from the heart around the body.

Your arteries need a certain level of pressure to keep the blood moving. But if your blood pressure stays higher than recommended over time, it raises the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke or heart attack. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is usually diagnosed when your blood pressure is regularly above 140/90 mmHg.

You may be more at risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) if you:

• eat a high-fat diet
• eat a high-salt diet
• don't exercise
• are overweight
• smoke
• drink too much alcohol
• are stressed
• take some recreational drugs
• are older (the risk of developing high blood pressure increases as you get older)
• have a family history of high blood pressure
• are of Afro-Caribbean or South Asian origin

For some people, a cause of high blood pressure is found. This can include:

• kidney disease
• diabetes
• hormonal conditions, like Cushing's syndrome (when the body produces too many steroid hormones)
• obstructive sleep apnoea
• some herbal remedies
• some medicines like oral contraceptives

About 1 in 10 women have high blood pressure during pregnancy. It might have been diagnosed before the pregnancy, or it might be found for the first time while you're pregnant.

If you're worried that a medicine you take is affecting your blood pressure, speak to a doctor.

High blood pressure (hypertension) often has no symptoms. So if you think you may have it, or you're already taking medicine for it, check your blood pressure regularly.

In rare cases, high blood pressure can cause symptoms.

See a doctor if you have signs of very high blood pressure, such as:

• headaches
• blurred or double vision
• regular nosebleeds
• shortness of breath

Some doctors now give you a blood pressure monitor to take home. There are two reasons for this:

• your blood pressure can change throughout the day
• anxiety or stress can raise your blood pressure

With a home monitor, you can measure your blood pressure levels over time, and you can use it at a time that suits you.

A doctor or other health professional may also take blood and urine tests along with the blood pressure checks. These tests look for conditions that can push blood pressure up, such as kidney disease.

If you have high blood pressure (hypertension), making some changes to the way you live can sometimes help.

• exercise regularly
• cut down on alcohol
• eat a healthy, low-fat diet
• keep your salt intake low
• try to lose weight if you're overweight or obese
• drink less caffeine
• try relaxation therapies like yoga and meditation

• Don't take recreational drugs

Sometimes one treatment isn't enough to bring high blood pressure down. You may need to take more than one type of medicine, along with making healthy changes to how you live.

The most common medicines for high blood pressure are:

• angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, like ramipril
• calcium channel blockers, like amlodipine
• thiazide diuretics, like bendroflumethazide
• alpha-blockers, like doxazosin
• beta-blockers, like atenolol

If you have high blood pressure, you may have to take medicine for it for the rest of your life. But how your medicine and your lifestyle affect your blood pressure should be checked over time.

If high blood pressure (hypertension) is left untreated, it can lead to problems including:

• stroke
• heart attack
• arterial thrombosis
• abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)
• kidney disease
• vascular dementia