What is High Blood Pressure?

Each time your heart beats, it pushes blood into large and small vessels, called arteries, which carry oxygen to various organs and tissues in the body. As blood flows through your arteries, it pushes against the artery wall. The force of blood pumping against the artery wall is called blood pressure. If the blood pressure is too high for a long period of time, the opening of the small blood vessels can become narrower. This can make it harder for the heart to pump blood through the body. It can also cause the pressure of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels to increase.

The medical term for high blood pressure is hypertension. High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard and contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

Untreated high blood pressure can continue for many years without your knowing it, hurting your body in many ways.

How Does High Blood Pressure Affect...	These Diseases
Increases Risk	Heart Disease
Increases Risk	Stroke
Increases Risk	Congestive Heart Failure
Increases Risk	Kidney Disease
Increases Risk	Blindness

	Heart Disease is the leading cause of death among Americans.
	Stroke is the third leading cause of death among Americans.

		that cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of women in the United States?
		that increasing your physical activity can play an important role in improving the condition of your heart and reducing your blood pressure?