The Importance of Managing Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, along with smoking and a protein called apple lipoprotein B. Understanding blood pressure measurement is crucial. Blood is pumped from the heart's left ventricle, which carries oxygen-rich blood to the body's general circulation. Systole is the contraction phase, where blood pressure on arterial walls is measured as the top number. Diastole is the relaxation phase, measured as the bottom number. High blood pressure has significant implications, and the new guidelines categorize it into normal, elevated, and stages 1 and 2 hypertension. Aggressively managing blood pressure has shown a significant reduction in cardiovascular mortality.