High Blood Pressure

More than one in four adults have high pressure.

Know your numbers and what they mean to you!

Organisations across Lancashire and South Cumbria have worked together to create an easy to understand Blood Pressure Information Guide to provide access to good quality, appropriate information for professionals, High Blood Pressure patients, their families and carers and anyone affected by this.

Find out more on their website.

What is blood pressure?

Why is it important to know my numbers?

Blood pressure is the pressure of blood in your arteries. If it is too high over a period of time and is not treated, you could be more at risk of having a stroke or heart attack. It is also a risk factor for kidney disease, dementia and other illnesses. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms which is why many people don’t know they have it.

The only way to find out, is to have regular checks and remember the numbers in the same way you would for your height and weight. If you have a raised blood pressure reading, you should not ignore it. High blood pressure is a serious condition but can be successfully treated.

What causes high blood pressure

For most people the cause is unknown, however we do know that some factors make it more likely: 

• A family history of high blood pressure
• If you are of African, Caribbean or South Asian descent
• Your age - blood pressure tends to climb as we get older
• Being overweight
• Certain lifestyle factors such as eating too much salt or drinking too much alcohol

How is my blood pressure measured?

When you have your blood pressure measured it is written like this: 140/90mmHg, which is said “140 over 90”. The first ‘higher’ number is your systolic pressure when your heart beats and pushes blood around your body.

The second ‘lower’ number is the diastolic pressure when your heart relaxes between beats. You need some pressure to keep your blood moving. Your blood pressure naturally goes up and down, and it’s fine for it to go up while you’re moving about. Its when your overall blood pressure is always high, even when you are resting, that you need to do something about it.

SYSTOLIC

(Top number of your reading)

This is the highest level of your blood pressure – when your heart beats; it contracts to pump blood through your arteries.

DIASTOLIC

(Bottom number of your reading)

This is the lowest level of your blood pressure – when your heart relaxes between beats.

PULSE

If your machine displays a pulse rate like this one does, this is the number of times your heart is beating per minute.

Published: May 15, 2025