b'Chapter OneAre You at Risk?M ost people dont think about their blood pressure until its too late. Because hypertension typically has no symptoms, it can be easy to ignoreespecially if you dont get regular check-ups. But thats a serious mistake since high blood pressure can lead to a deadly heart attack or stroke. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that hypertension was a primary or contributing cause of 691,095 deaths in the United States in 2021up from 277,000 deaths in 2002. But you dont have to become one of these statistics. Taking proactive steps to attain and maintain healthy blood pressure is keyand that starts with learning about what youre up against.Defining Blood PressureBlood pressure is defined as the force of blood inside yourblood vessels. Every time yourheartbeats (the systolic phase), oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood is pumped into the arteries so it can be carried throughout your body via your circulatory system. In between beats (the diastolic phase), your arteries relax. Your blood pressure changes throughout the day, depending on what youre doing. It can go up significantly during exercise or when youre stressed out. On the other hand, blood pressure can go down when youre asleep or meditating. But if your pressure is consistently elevated, its time to take action. Whats too high? According to the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, normal blood pressure for adults is a systolic measurement of less than 120 mmHg and a diastolic reading under 80 mmHg. Your blood pressure is considered to be elevated when the systolic pressure consistently reaches 120129 mmHg and the diastolic is less than 80 mmHg. Stage 1 hypertension occurs when systolic blood pressure regularly hits 130139 mmHg or the diastolic reaches 8089 mmHg. Stage 2 hypertension, which is the most serious level of hypertension, is defined by blood pressure that reaches 140 mmHg/90 mmHg or higher. Blood pressure readings that suddenly exceed 180 mmHg/120 mmHg diastolic are considered a hypertensive crisis that requires immediate medical attention.4BLO OD PRESSURE HEALTH'