Hypertension

Your heart is a pump that beats steadily and continuously, pumping your blood throughout your body. To maintain this flow of blood, there must be pressure in your circulatory system. This is referred to as your blood pressure. While some people naturally have low blood pressure – it’s often a sign of being fit and healthy –sometimes blood pressure falls lower than is normal for you (hypotension). We spoke with Dr Andrew Thornber, Chief Medical Officer at Now Patient , to uncover the facts about low blood pressure. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below What is low blood pressure? Your blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and consists of two numbers: the higher number refers to systolic pressure. This is the force with which your heart pumps blood around your body. The lower number refers to diastolic pressure. This is the resistance to the blood flow in your blood vessels. Normal blood pressure is considered to be a reading between 90/60mmHg and 120/80m...

You probably already know that high blood pressure is a dangerous, sometimes life-threatening health problem . But it’s also possible to hit the other extreme and develop low blood pressure. Both of these conditions are technically considered abnormal, or outside normal blood pressure readings. But is one more dangerous than the other? It probably depends on the underlying cause of each condition specifically. What causes high blood pressure? High blood pressure | Zinkevych/iStock/Getty Images While there isn’t always one definite “cause” of high blood pressure, doctors do look at the number of risk factors that may have contributed to its development. They may note that both your parents had it and that you have high cholesterol, for example, and guess both those reasons likely led to your condition. Some of the most common factors that may increase your risk of developing high blood pressure include: Age (over 50) A family history of high blood pressure Chronic stress Ph...