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Can you recall a doctor\u2019s appointment during which your blood pressure wasn\u2019t taken? Probably not. It\u2019s a vital sign\u2014along with heart rate, breathing rate, and body temperature\u2014that reflects how well your body is functioning. But unless you\u2019ve already been diagnosed with high blood pressure or another medical condition that requires you to monitor it at home, chances are you don\u2019t often take your own blood pressure.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost people, the only time they get it checked is when they\u2019re at the doctor\u2019s office,\u201d Dr. Joseph Ebinger<\/a>, director of the coronary intensive care unit at the Smidt Heart Institute<\/a> at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center<\/a> in Los Angeles, tells Fortune<\/em>. \u201cIndividuals, if they have their own history of having high blood pressure measurement, or a strong family history of high blood pressure, or, finally, cardiovascular risk factors\u2014things like diabetes or peripheral arterial disease\u2014I would recommend that they have a blood pressure cuff at home.\u201d<\/p>\n Whereas your heart rate<\/a> is the number of times your heart beats per minute, your blood pressure<\/a> measures the force with which your blood circulates and stresses your artery walls. If you have high blood pressure, also called hypertension, your heart has to work harder than normal to pump blood throughout your body. Over time, hypertension can lead to serious medical problems including stroke<\/a>, heart attack<\/a>, and kidney failure<\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite the dangers of hypertension, its lack of symptoms means people may not know they have the condition until the damage has been done. That\u2019s why high blood pressure is a \u201csilent killer.\u201d Half of U.S. adults have hypertension, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)<\/a>, but only two-thirds of them know it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the No. 1 most common cardiovascular risk factor<\/a> in the country,\u201d Ebinger says. \u201cFinding ways to control it is really important in minimizing your risk, and it can happen early on in life.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that individuals who are at increased risk for developing [hypertension] later in life tend to have higher-than-normal blood pressures in their midlife\u2014even in their 30s\u2014and so regular screening and monitoring of your blood pressure is key.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019ve likely heard your health care provider say your blood pressure is something like \u201c120 over 80,\u201d typically a larger number over a smaller number. Together, the two are measured in millimeters of mercury, written as 120\/80 mm Hg. Dr. Gregory Katz<\/a>, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Health<\/a>, explains the difference.<\/p>\n \u201cBlood pressure is the pressure that your arteries are experiencing during the entirety of your life, and that\u2019s going to differ when your heart is contracting versus when your heart is relaxing,\u201d Katz tells Fortune<\/em>. \u201cThat first number of blood pressure is called the systolic number. That\u2019s the pressure in your arteries when your heart is ejecting blood into them, and then the bottom number is called the diastolic pressure, which is the pressure in your arteries when your heart is relaxed.\u201d<\/p>\n Katz adds, \u201cThe overall pressure, which is going to be an average of both the systolic and the diastolic, that\u2019s going to be adjusted based on the fact that your heart is more often relaxing than contracting. It\u2019s called the mean arterial pressure (MAP)<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n The American Heart Association (AHA)<\/a> considers a systolic pressure below 120 and<\/em> a diastolic pressure below 80 to be normal for adults. Hypertension is classified into stages of severity<\/a>; stage 1 has a systolic reading of 130 to 139 or<\/em> a diastolic reading of 80 to 89. A systolic measurement above 180 and\/or<\/em> a diastolic measurement above 120 constitutes a hypertensive crisis<\/a> requiring emergency medical care.<\/p>\n Hypertensive emergencies aside, remember that your blood pressure practically changes minute to minute, Katz says, so don\u2019t let a single abnormal reading alarm you.<\/p>\n \u201cAny type of physical activity raises your blood pressure. Exercise, you\u2019re supposed to have a normal blood pressure elevation when you are exerting yourself,\u201d Katz tells Fortune<\/em>. \u201cChanging the position that you\u2019re in, going from sitting to standing, will change your blood pressure; being stressed out will change your blood pressure; rushing will change your blood pressure. There are a million different things that are going to have an impact on what your blood pressure is.\u201d<\/p>\n If your blood pressure is regularly high when you\u2019re at rest and ease, however, ask your doctor about being tested for hypertension.<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure?<\/h2>\n