High blood pressure isn’t a disease, it’s a risk. But it can be managed . . .

IT’S a common enough question in the surgery – what is my ideal blood pressure reading? The short answer is that it depends. Most people know BP readings are one number “over” another – 120 over 80, for example.

This is your blood measured against millimetres of mercury – which is what’s going on when that blood pressure machine is strapped around your arm.

The top number represents systolic pressure – the pressure in your arteries when the heart contracts.

The bottom number is the diastolic pressure, the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest.

If it’s high then this is known as hypertension, but this itself isn’t an illness.

It’s perhaps better to call it a risk factor for other conditions. In other words if you have hypertension, you’re more likely to develop heart disease, stroke or other conditions.

A BP reading is considered high when it’s above 160/100, and if someone has readings in that range – over a period of time, to make sure – they’ll be offered treatment to bring it down. It sounds straightforward. Depending on your circumstances, you’ll be given a risk score, which is worked out by taking into account factors like age and whether you smoke or not. If your BP is persistently over 140/90, and your score is over 20%, you’ll be offered treatment.

Those with diabetes, kidney disease or who have experienced a heart attack or stroke should also be treated if their BP is over 140/90. They should also aim for a lower “target” BP reading after treatment than everyone else.

But everyone needs to remember lifestyle factors like smoking, diet and exercise.