Know and control your blood pressure

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of an artery as the blood is squeezed from the heart. Your blood pressure goes up and down throughout the day, depending upon what you are doing, your emotional state, or medications that you take. These changes are temporary and normal. Blood pressure that stays high is called hypertension.

Blood pressure is measured by two numbers. The top number is the pressure when the heart contracts (systolic). The bottom number is the pressure when the heart relaxes (diastolic). An example of a healthy blood pressure is 120/80 (“120 over 80”).

For stroke patients, if the top number is consistently higher than 140 or the bottom number is consistently higher than 90, you will likely be diagnosed and treated for high blood pressure (hypertension). If you have diabetes, you will be treated for high blood pressure when the number is higher than 130 / 80 mm Hg. Talk with your doctor about your blood pressure and what is a healthy range for you.

High blood pressure can sometimes be controlled through a combination of lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet and regular physical activity, or stress management.