High blood pressure – also known as hypertension – affects one in five Canadians. It is the number one risk factor for stroke and a major risk factor for heart disease, so it is very important that it is properly controlled. Yet 42% of Canadians with high blood pressure don’t even know they have it because there are no symptoms. You can’t see it. You can’t feel it. But the good news is that you can control it.

Are you under pressure?
Could you be at risk of high blood pressure and not even know it? To find out, take the Heart&Stroke Blood Pressure Action PlanTM which will identify your risk of heart disease and stroke and provides realistic tips, advice and support to help you prevent or control high blood pressure.

What is high blood pressure?
Blood pressure is a measure of the pressure or force of blood against the walls of your blood vessels called arteries. The top number represents the pressure when your heart contracts and pushes blood out (systolic) and the bottom number is the lowest pressure when the heart relaxes between beats (diastolic).

Blood pressure that is consistently more than 140/90 mm Hg is considered high, but if you have diabetes, 130/80 mm Hg is high. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg.

How it causes heart disease and stroke
Over time high blood pressure can damage blood vessel walls causing scarring that promotes the build-up of fatty plaque, which can narrow and eventually block arteries. It also strains the heart and eventually weakens it. Very high blood pressure can cause blood vessels in the brain to burst resulting in a stroke.

Reduce your pressure. Reduce your risk.
With proper diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure, you can cut your risk of stroke by up to 40% and heart attack by up to 25%.

Here are some tips to get your blood pressure in check:

1. Have your blood pressure checked regularly. High blood pressure often has no symptoms, so have yours checked at least once every two years by a healthcare professional.

2. If you have been told you have high-normal blood pressure, Canadian guidelines recommend that you have your blood pressure checked at least once a year. High normal ranges between 130/85 and 139/89.

3. If your doctor has prescribed medication, take it as directed.
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High blood pressure is the main risk factor for stroke and a major risk factor for heart attack, heart failure and kidney disease. There is also increasing evidence that it is a risk factor for vascular dementia.

One in three adults in the general population have high blood pressure.

Around a third of people with high blood pressure do not know that they have it, as there are no obvious symptoms. This is why it is often called the ’silent killer’.

High blood pressure is a level consistently at or above 140mmHg and/or 90mmHg.

31 per cent of men and 28 per cent of women have high blood pressure.

People with high blood pressure are three times more likely to develop heart disease and stroke and twice as likely to die from these as people with a normal blood pressure.

High blood pressure rarely has any symptoms, the only way for people to know if they have the condition is to have their blood pressure regularly measured.