The two blood pressure numbers indicate how much pressure builds up in the arteries as the heart beats and between beats.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, increases the risk for coronary heart disease (heart attack) and stroke (brain attack).

A healthy blood pressure level can reduce your risk for many serious diseases and increase your longevity.

Prehypertension is a new term that alerts people to the risk of developing chronic high blood pressure if they don’t take timely steps to improve their lifestyle habits.

In many cases, the progression to high blood pressure occurs within four years of being diagnosed with prehypertension.

High blood pressure is a sneaky ailment. The condition has no symptoms that you can see or feel. Having your blood pressure checked is the only way to know if it is high.

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet reduced blood pressure. This diet is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and total fat and emphasizes fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products.