Blood pressure checks - what you need to know.

Many adults don’t know their blood pressure, but it is essential to understand your own levels to ensure optimal health. Blood pressure checks are an important part of regular check-ups with your family doctor, as they help detect any underlying issues that may need attention.

As a patient in Australia, it's important to become aware of what can be done and ways you can lessen the risk of developing certain conditions such as stroke and heart attack. In this blog post we will discuss what exactly blood pressure measurements entail, the potential risks if left unchecked or unmanaged and provide tips on how you can effectively manage it for a healthy lifestyle.

Blood pressure is an indicator of the force your heart uses to pump blood around your body. It is measured as two numbers - systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number). They are usually given in millimetres of mercury (mmHg). Your systolic pressure indicates the highest pressure when your heart pumps, while the diastolic pressure indicates the lowest pressure when your heart relaxes between beats.

High blood pressure (hypertension) exceeds 140/90 mmHg, and is associated with an increased risk of stroke, coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular conditions. Therefore, if your readings are higher than this it’s important to seek medical advice as soon as possible to help reduce these risks by exploring change in lifestyle or medications if needed. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends keeping systolic pressures below 120mmHg and diastolic pressures below 80mmHg - but remember everyone is different so what works for one person may not work for another. Some organisations recommend different target ranges depending on many different factors.