February is American Heart Month.
Nearly one in two adults in the United States has high blood pressure, but only half of those people – about one in four – have the disease under control. That means they’re at higher risk for serious health problems like stroke and heart disease – the leading cause of death among women in the United States
The good news? There are simple steps you can take to prevent and manage high blood pressure. Understanding the basics of blood pressure can help you keep your blood pressure under control.
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is a measure of the force your blood uses to move through your arteries. These are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from your heart to other parts of your body.
Your blood pressure is not stable – it rises or falls depending on whether you are active and excited or resting and relaxed.
When a healthcare provider (HCP) checks your blood pressure, they measure how hard your blood pushes against your arteries when your heart beats and when it rests between heartbeats. For this reason, blood pressure is displayed as two numbers on top of each other (like a fraction).
- Systolic blood pressure is the top (first) number of your blood pressure measurement. It’s a measure of the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats.
- Diastolic blood pressure is the bottom (second) number in your reading. It is a measure of the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between heartbeats.
Know your numbers
It’s one thing to know your systolic and diastolic blood pressure numbers and another to understand what they mean.
In August 2025, the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology changed their guidelines on what is considered “normal” or healthy blood pressure levels. These updated guidelines focus more on hypertension prevention and early detection and treatment.
According to the new guidelines, your blood pressure is normal if:
- The systolic pressure (top number) is below 120 and
- Diastolic pressure (bottom number) is below 80
Your blood pressure is considered elevated if:
- The systolic pressure is between 120 and 129 and
- Diastolic pressure is below 80
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, occurs when:
You have consistent metrics of:
- Systolic pressure at or above 130 or
- Diastolic pressure at or above 80
If your systolic pressure is over 180 and/or your diastolic pressure is over 120 and you have no symptoms, call your doctor. If you also have symptoms, call 911.
Quiz: True or False: High Blood Pressure >>
How high blood pressure affects your blood vessels (and your health).
High blood pressure means that blood is constantly pushing too hard against the walls of your arteries and your heart has to work harder than it should to pump blood throughout your body.
Over time, high blood pressure can cause your arteries and other blood vessels to become less flexible – and therefore less able to carry blood and oxygen to your heart and throughout your body.
Reduced blood flow to the heart caused by high blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease, chest pain (angina), heart attacks and heart failure.
When high blood pressure damages one of the heart valves, it can lead to valvular heart disease.
High blood pressure can also cause the arteries that carry blood and oxygen to the brain to become blocked or even rupture, which can lead to a stroke.
Because high blood pressure can cause so many problems with your blood vessels and heart, it increases your risk of dying from heart or blood vessel problems at a younger age than average.
And high blood pressure is also linked to kidney disease because it can weaken, narrow, or harden the blood vessels in your kidneys, preventing them from receiving enough blood to function properly.
Prevention and treatment of high blood pressure
Lifestyle changes can go a long way toward keeping blood pressure normal—and lowering it when it gets too high. Some things you can do to control your blood pressure include:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Eat heart-healthy foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains and watch your salt consumption
- Move your body regularly
- Try to keep stress under control
- Limit or eliminate alcohol consumption
- Avoid smoking
If lifestyle changes aren’t enough to control your blood pressure, your doctor may recommend prescription medication.
Medications used to treat high blood pressure may include:
- Diuretics (water pills), which help the body eliminate excess salt and water to control blood pressure
- Beta blockers, which help lower blood pressure by slowing your heart rate
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), which help the body produce less angiotensin, a chemical that narrows the arteries
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), which block the effects of angiotensin
- Calcium channel blockers, which help open blood vessels
- Alpha blockers, which relax the walls of your arteries
- Central alpha-2 receptor agonists, which block certain brain signals that can cause your heart rate to increase and blood vessels to narrow
- Blood vessel dilators (vasodilators), which expand blood vessels by causing the muscles in their walls to relax
Get checked for high blood pressure
If you’re concerned about your blood pressure – or even if you haven’t checked it in a while – contact your doctor. Or visit your local health department or pharmacy, which may also offer blood pressure screenings.
Knowing your blood pressure and how to control it with or without medication can help you keep your blood vessels and heart healthy.
This educational resource was created with support from Merck.
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