High blood pressure

What counts as high

You’re usually considered to have high blood pressure if your reading is 140/90 or higher when checked by a healthcare professional, or 135/85 or higher when checked at home. See Understanding your reading for all the ranges.

Symptoms

“High blood pressure does not usually cause any symptoms.” Rarely, it can cause headaches, blurred vision or chest pain. The only way to find out if you have it is to get your blood pressure checked.

Causes

About 90% of people with high blood pressure have “primary hypertension”, which has no single identifiable cause. About 10% have “secondary hypertension”, caused by something else such as a kidney, hormone or blood vessel problem, or certain medicines.

NICE says adults under 40 with high blood pressure should be considered for specialist checks for these other causes.

Things that raise your risk

You’re more likely to get high blood pressure if you:

• are older
• have close relatives with high blood pressure
• are of Black African, Black Caribbean or South Asian ethnic background
• have an unhealthy diet, especially one high in salt
• are overweight
• smoke
• drink too much alcohol
• feel stressed over a long period

Why it matters

If it’s not treated, high blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, kidney disease and vascular dementia. NICE also lists peripheral arterial disease, which affects blood flow to the legs.

The good news: “Lowering your blood pressure even a small amount can help reduce your risk of these problems.” A review quoted by Public Health England found that every 10 mmHg drop in blood pressure was linked to a 17% lower risk of coronary heart disease, 27% lower risk of stroke, 28% lower risk of heart failure and 13% lower risk of death from any cause.

What you can do

• Get a check. Many pharmacies in England offer free checks if you’re 40 or over. See Free NHS checks.
• Measure at home the right way. See Measuring at home.
• Make healthy changes. See Lowering it with lifestyle.
• If you’re diagnosed, see Diagnosis and treatment.