Get Your Blood Pressure Checked

Nearly half of all adults in the United States have high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases your risk for serious health problems, including stroke and heart attack.

Get your blood pressure checked regularly starting at age 18 years — and do your best to keep track of your blood pressure numbers.

How often do I need to get my blood pressure checked?

• If you’re age 40 years or older, or if you’re at higher risk for high blood pressure, get your blood pressure checked at least once a year
• If you’re age 18 to 39 years and you aren’t at increased risk for high blood pressure, get your blood pressure checked at least every 3 to 5 years

What puts me at higher risk for high blood pressure?

Your risk for high blood pressure goes up as you get older. You’re also at increased risk for high blood pressure if you:

• Are African American
• Have overweight or obesity
• Are currently pregnant or had high blood pressure during a past pregnancy 
• Don’t get enough physical activity
• Drink too much alcohol
• Smoke
• Don’t eat a healthy diet
• Have kidney failure, diabetes, or some types of heart disease

Learn more about your risk for high blood pressure.

What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure is how hard your blood pushes against the walls of your arteries. Arteries are the tubes that carry blood away from your heart. Every time your heart beats, it pumps blood through your arteries to the rest of your body.

What is hypertension?

Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, so it’s sometimes called a “silent killer.” The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get it checked.

What do blood pressure numbers mean?

A blood pressure test measures how hard your heart is working to pump blood through your body.

Blood pressure is measured with 2 numbers. The first number (called systolic blood pressure) is the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The second number (called diastolic blood pressure) is the pressure in your arteries when your heart relaxes between beats.

Compare your blood pressure to these numbers:

• Normal blood pressure is lower than 120/80 (said as “120 over 80”)
• High blood pressure is 130/80 or higher
• Blood pressure that’s between normal and high (for example, 125/80) is called elevated blood pressure

If your blood pressure is elevated, it means you’re at risk for developing high blood pressure. Talk to your doctor and make a plan to control your blood pressure.

Learn more about what your blood pressure numbers mean.

How can I get my blood pressure checked?

To test your blood pressure, a nurse or doctor will put a cuff around your upper arm. The nurse or doctor will pump the cuff with air until it feels tight, then slowly let it out. This takes just a few minutes.

You can find out what your blood pressure numbers are right after the test is over. If the test shows that your blood pressure is high, ask the doctor what to do next.

Blood pressure can go up and down, so it’s a good idea to get it checked more than once.

Can I check my blood pressure by myself?

Yes. You can buy a home blood pressure monitor at a drug store. Many shopping malls, pharmacies, and grocery stores also have blood pressure machines you can use in the store.

If the test shows that your blood pressure is elevated or high, talk to your doctor and make a plan to control it.

If you have high blood pressure, your doctor might ask you to monitor your blood pressure at home to keep track of your numbers — and to see if treatments are working.

Learn how to check your blood pressure at home.

How can high blood pressure affect pregnancy?

If you’re pregnant, high blood pressure can be dangerous for you and your baby. If you have high blood pressure and you want to get pregnant, it’s important to take steps to lower your blood pressure first.

Sometimes women get high blood pressure for the first time during pregnancy. This is called gestational hypertension. This type of high blood pressure usually goes away after the baby is born — but you may have a higher risk of getting high blood pressure in the future.

If you have high blood pressure while you’re pregnant, be sure to visit your doctor regularly. To learn more:

• Find out about high blood pressure during pregnancy
• Get tips on how to have a healthy pregnancy

What if I have high blood pressure?

If you have high blood pressure, work with your doctor to make a treatment plan to control it. Your treatment plan may include healthy life changes, medicine, or a combination of both.

These steps can help lower your blood pressure:

• Eat healthy, including foods that are low in saturated fat and sodium (salt). Get healthy eating tips.
• Get active — aim for 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. Use this resource to get more physical activity.
• Watch your weight by eating healthy and getting active. Learn how to stay at a healthy weight.
• Remember to take medicines as prescribed (ordered) by your doctor. Learn more about blood pressure medicines.

Small changes can add up. For example, losing just 10 pounds can help lower your blood pressure.