High blood pressure – also known as hypertension – is a disease in which blood flows through blood vessels (arteries) at a higher than normal pressure.īlood pressure is measured with two numbers. What is high blood pressure?īlood pressure is defined as the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. However, because of the obesity epidemic, more and more children are also developing high blood pressure.
Many people develop high blood pressure when they are in their late 30’s or early 40’s, and it occurs more frequently as people age. But only half of those people have their condition under control.
Approximately 1 in 3, more than 100 million, American adults have high blood pressure.