Blood Pressure

Why is blood pressure important?

Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against blood vessel walls. When this force is too high, then this can cause damage to your blood vessels and organs over time. Normal blood pressure is <120/80 mmHg.

What is hypertension?

Hypertension is typically defined as high blood pressure that is at or above 130/80 mmHg (stage 1 hypertension). Stage 2 hypertension is blood pressure at or above 140/90 mmHg.

Causes of high blood pressure

There are many different factors that can lead to high blood pressure such as lack of exercise, consuming too much salt, smoking, stress, family history and chronic health conditions.

Prevention

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and a well-balanced diet can help you avoid hypertension or high blood pressure.

How do I check my blood pressure?

Once you donate blood with Carter BloodCare, you will receive results showing your non-fasting total cholesterol, blood pressure, blood type, pulse, and hemoglobin. Test results provided by Carter BloodCare are meant to be a screening guide to better understand your health and should not be viewed as a diagnosis. Log in to your account to view historical test results.

For more information on blood pressure, visit the American Heart Association.