Blood pressure is the amount of force exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries. Usually blood pressure is expressed as two numbers, such as 120/80 and is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). The first number is the systolic blood pressure, the force used when the heart beats. The second number, or diastolic blood pressure, is the pressure that exists in the arteries between heartbeats. Depending on your activities, blood pressure may move up or down in the course of a day. Blood pressure is considered high when it stays at or above 135/85 mm Hg over a period of time. A variety of medications and lifestyle changes can be effective in treating the condition - discuss a plan with your healthcare professional if you have hypertension. If untreated, hypertension can increase your chance of stroke, coronary heart disease and heart attack, congestive heart failure and kidney disease.

This definition is in context to Female Health. See more contextual defintions for Hypertension.