28 Days of Heart:Understanding Blood Pressure
Knowing your blood pressure numbers is the first step to understanding if you may be at risk for heart-related disease. Your blood pressure is presented as two numbers:
- Systolic blood pressure (the first number) indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls when your heart beats.
- Diastolic blood pressure (the second number) indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls while your heart is resting.
Use this chart from the American Heart Association to help you better understand your blood pressure category and what it means.