Optimal Blood Pressure (B/P)

Your heart pumps blood around your body. Blood pressure is the force that pushes blood through your blood vessels. This force is necessary to make blood flow, delivering energy throughout your body.

However, high blood pressure, also called hypertension, means there is too much pressure in your arteries. This can damage them and cause health problems.

Hypertension is defined as blood pressure that is usually above the normal range. Anyone can develop high blood pressure, but it becomes more common as you get older. Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts for life unless lifestyle changes are made. High blood pressure is one of the leading health problems in Canada.

It causes:

• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Dementia
• Kidney (renal) disease
• Eye problems (retinopathy)
• Sexual dysfunction

Finding, preventing and treating high blood pressure early helps prevent these problems.

Source: Public Recommendations by the Canadian Hypertension Education Program