Introduction

Key points

• When blood pressure is high, it starts to damage the blood vessels, heart, and kidneys. This can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and other problems. But if you don't measure your blood pressure, you won't know when it's high, because there are usually no symptoms.
• If you are a healthy adult with normal blood pressure (119/79 or below), have your blood pressure checked at least every 1 to 2 years.¹
• If your systolic blood pressure (the first number) is 120 to 139 and/or your diastolic blood pressure (the second number) is 80 to 89, you are prehypertensive. This means that your blood pressure is higher than normal but not high enough to be high blood pressure. It is a warning that your blood pressure is going up. If you are in this category, you should have your blood pressure checked as often as your doctor advises, or at least once a year.
• Adults with other risk factors for heart disease or evidence of disease caused by high blood pressure need to have their blood pressure checked more often.
• A home blood pressure monitor makes it easy to keep track of your blood pressure.

 What is blood pressure?

 Why should you measure your own blood pressure?

 How to take your blood pressure at home

 Where to go from here

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References

Citations

1. Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (2003). Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure JNC Express (NIH Publication No. 03–5233). Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

2. American Heart Association. (2005). Recommendations for blood pressure measurement in humans and experimental animals. Part 1: Blood pressure measurement in humans. AHA Scientific Statement. Hypertension, 45(1): 142–161.