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What is hypertension?

Hypertension is when blood pressure is too high. Blood pressure is the force exerted by circulating blood against the walls of the body’s arteries, the blood vessels carrying oxygenated blood away from the heart. 

Blood pressure is written as two numbers. The first (systolic) number represents the pressure in blood vessels when the heart contracts or beats. The second (diastolic) number represents the pressure in the vessels when the heart rests between beats.

Hypertension is diagnosed if, when it is measured on two different days, the systolic blood pressure reading on both days is ≥140 mmHg and/or the diastolic blood pressure reading on both days is ≥90 mmHg.

For more information visit: 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/

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