INTRODUCING

HIGH BLOOD
PRESSURE

Helping you to lower your

blood pressure
BLOOD PRESSURE UK

About this
booklet
This is one of a series of booklets produced by Blood Pressure UK, to
help people with high blood pressure take practical steps to manage
their condition. The booklets in the series are:
1 Introducing high blood pressure
2 Healthy eating and blood pressure
3 Healthy lifestyle and blood pressure
4 Getting the most from blood pressure medicines
5 Measuring your blood pressure at home
Blood Pressure UK is a registered charity and we rely on
donations to help us carry out our work. We would be
grateful for any donation that you can make towards the
cost of producing this booklet. Contact us by telephone
(020) 7882 6255 or visit our website: www.bloodpressureuk.org

High blood pressure is the biggest known cause of

disability and premature death in the UK through
stroke, heart attack and heart disease. One in
three adults in the UK has high blood pressure
and every day 350 people have a preventable
stroke or heart attack caused by the condition.
 INTRODUCING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

What is blood
pressure?
Every time the heart beats it contracts, pumping blood in to the arteries, which is
carried through to every part of your body to give it the energy and oxygen it needs. As
the blood moves along the artery, it pushes against the sides of the blood vessels. The
force of this pushing is your blood pressure.
The pressure is at it’s highest when the heart beats. This is called the systolic pressure
(top number), and should be around 120 or less.
The pressure is at it’s lowest when the heart relaxes (rests) in between beats. This is
called the diastolic pressure (bottom number), and should be around 80 or less.
Blood pressure is therefore expressed as two numbers, systolic and diastolic. Blood
pressure is measured in ‘millimetres of mercury’ (mmHg).
When your blood pressure is measured it will be written as two numbers. For example,
if your reading is 120/80mmHg, your blood pressure is ‘120 over 80’.
Blood pressure is not usually something that you feel or notice. The table below shows
what different readings can mean:

BP reading What this means What you need to do

Less than Your blood pressure is Re-check in 5 years. Follow a

120 over 80 normal and healthy healthy lifestyle to keep your
blood pressure at this level

Between 121 over Your blood pressure is a Re-check in a year. Make healthy
81 and 139 over little higher than it should changes to your lifestyle
89 be. You maybe at risk of
developing high blood
pressure in later life, and
you should try to lower it

140 over 90, or You have high blood Change your lifestyle - see your
higher (over a pressure GP or practice nurse and take any
number of weeks) medicines they may give you

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BLOOD PRESSURE UK

What is high blood pressure?

If either or both your readings are consistently 140 over 90, or higher, over a
number of weeks you probably have high blood pressure.
High blood pressure usually has no signs or symptoms, so the only way to
know if you have high blood pressure is to have yours measured. However, a
single high reading does not necessarily mean you have high blood pressure.
Many things can affect your blood pressure through the day, so you will need
to see that it stays high over time.
Diagnosis will be made by your GP.

Why is high blood pressure important?

If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your heart and
blood vessels. Over time if left untreated or undiagnosed, this extra strain
can possibly damage your body’s organs, which puts you at risk of health
problems.
If you have high blood pressure and do not control it, this raises your risk of a
heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure can damage your arteries, cause
heart disease, kidney disease and eye problems, and is a risk factor for some
forms of vascular dementia.

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 INTRODUCING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

What causes high blood pressure?

For most people, there may be no single cause for their high blood pressure.
We do not know exactly what causes high blood pressure. We do know that
your lifestyle can affect your risk of developing it.
You are at a higher risk if:
you eat too much salt;
you don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables;
you are not active enough;
you are overweight;
you drink too much alcohol.

A small proportion of people may have high blood pressure that is

linked to another medical condition, such as kidney problems and
diabetes. For these people, treating the medical problem can lower
their blood pressure back to normal.

Some other things that can affect your blood pressure ,which you cannot
control. These include:
Age: as you get Ethnic origin: Family history: you
older, the effects people from are at greater risk if
of an unhealthy African-Caribbean other members of
lifestyle can build up and South Asian your family have,
and your blood communities are or have had, high
pressure can at greater risk than blood pressure.
increase. other people of high
blood pressure.

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BLOOD PRESSURE UK

Healthy eating and

blood pressure
If your blood pressure is too high, you can make healthy changes to your
lifestyle to help bring it down. The following changes to your diet and activity
can have a real effect on your blood pressure.

Eat less salt

Too much salt raises your blood pressure, so it is important to eat as little as
possible. Most of the salt you eat is not what you add to your food, but is in
prepared foods like bread, breakfast cereals and ready meals. Don’t add salt
to food when cooking or at the table. When shopping for food, check the labels
and choose low-salt options when you can.

Eat more fruit and vegetables

Eating more fruit and vegetables helps to lower your blood pressure. Adults
should eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. A portion is
80 grams, or roughly the size of your fist.
Try to eat a range of different fruits and vegetables. Dried, frozen and tinned
are fine, but watch out for added salt, sugar or fats. Fruit juice and smoothies
should be limited to a small glass a day.
Potatoes, yams, cassava and plantains are all vegetables but they do not
count towards your five a day as they are heavier in starch. However, you
should still include them as part of a healthy diet.

Please see our other booklets:

Healthy eating and blood pressure
Healthy lifestyle and blood pressure

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 INTRODUCING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Drink less alcohol

If you drink too much alcohol, this will raise your blood pressure over time. The
current guidelines recommend no more than 14 units a week for BOTH men
and women. 14 units is roughly 6 pints of 4% beer, 6 175ml glasses of 13% wine
and 14 25ml glasses of 14% spirits.

Keep to a healthy weight

Losing weight, if you need to, will help lower your blood pressure and reduce
your risk of health problems. The best way to lose weight is to reduce your
calorie intake and increase physical activity. Reduce your calorie intake by
avoiding foods that contain a lot of added sugar and/or saturated fat, such as
sugar-sweetened drinks, confectionery, cakes and biscuits.
If overweight, losing just 5 to 10% of your weight will result in significant health
benefits, including reducing your risk of heart attacks or stroke.
Set yourself realistic goals. Make small changes in your diet and activity levels
that you can keep to for life.

Get more active

30 minutes of moderate exercise five
times a week can keep your heart
healthy, and can lower your blood
pressure. If you can’t find 30 minutes in
your day, increasing your activity by even
a small amount can help.
Think about how you can be more active
in your daily life. Any activity that leaves
you feeling warm and slightly out of
breath is ideal.

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BLOOD PRESSURE UK

Medicines for high

blood pressure
Changing your diet and being more active can really help you control your
blood pressure, but they may not lower it enough on their own. You may need
to take medicines to lower it further.
There is a wide range of medicines available for high blood pressure.
Most of these are grouped under four main types of medicine:
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitors (or ACE)
Angiotensin receptor blockers (or ARBs)
Calcium channel blockers (or CCB)
Thiazide diuretics
There are other types of medicines
available, but these four types are most Doctors have guidelines
commonly used today. to help them decide
what to use, but it can
Finding the right take time to find the right
medicines for you.
medicines for you
Every person is different, and some Please see our booklet:
types of medicine work better in different Getting the most from
types of people. What works well for a blood pressure medicines
friend or relative may not work so well
for you.
Many people find that one medicine
alone will not lower their blood pressure
enough. Each type of medicine works
in different ways in your body, so taking
more than one should have more of an
effect on your blood pressure.

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 INTRODUCING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Getting the most from

your medicines
High blood pressure cannot be cured, and
if you need to take medicines, you will
probably need to keep taking them for life. If
you stop, your blood pressure will rise back
up again.
It is very important to keep taking your
medicines, even if you don’t feel unwell.
By keeping your blood pressure low you are protecting your heart and blood
vessels from damage and disease.

Working with your doctor or nurse

Your doctor or nurse will want to see you again relatively soon after you start a
new medicine. This will be to make sure that it is working well for you, and that
you are not feeling any side effects.
If you begin to feel different after you start a new medicine, you can check the
list of side effects on the leaflet that comes with it. But it may be more useful
to speak to your doctor or nurse, or your pharmacist. They are experts in
medicines and can advise you.
If you are having side effects from a medicine, your doctor or nurse can change
your dose, or try a different medicine which may work better for you.

Build your medicines into your daily routine – take them at the same
time every day, and get into the habit of taking them. This will help
you get the most benefit from them.

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BLOOD PRESSURE UK

Measuring your
blood pressure at home
As measuring blood pressure in a surgery/clinic may make you feel anxious
(also known as white coat effect), which can affect the results, you might find it
helpful to measure your own blood pressure at home between appointments
with your doctor or nurse. This can be really useful in allowing you to monitor
what your blood pressure is like in daily life, especially if you suffer from white
coat effect.
Speak to your doctor or nurse about measuring your blood pressure at home.
They may be interested to see what your blood pressure is like when you are
away from the clinic. Many doctors are now using home readings in addition
to clinical readings as a measure of management.

Blood pressure monitors

If you are thinking of measuring your blood pressure at home, it is important to
choose the right monitor. Monitors that measure at your upper arm are usually
more accurate and consistent.
Whatever monitor you choose, make sure that it has been ‘clinically validated’.
This means that it has been tested and it gives results that you can trust.

When and how to measure your blood pressure

Ask your doctor or nurse for advice about how
often to check your blood pressure. It can be a
Please see our
good idea to check regularly at first, but then
booklet:
less often as you go on.
Measuring your
Try to measure your blood pressure at the same blood pressure at
time of day, when your body is relaxed. Try to home
make sure that you compare ‘like with like’.
Measuring at home is not for everyone. If you
find that it is making you more anxious about
your blood pressure, speak to your doctor or
nurse.

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 It should have been a routine blood pr
about to runINTRODUCING
a bloodHIGH
pressure awaren
BLOOD PRESSURE

to have mine checked first.

Tom’s story When I had my blood pressure

checked, the health advisor looked
Up
tha
‘I had no idea’ up at me with a look filled with shock
and concern. ‘I think you need to see
ye
the
your GP – right yo
It should have been a routine blood pressure check.
now,’ she said. mo
We were about to run a blood pressure awareness wh
event and I’d been asked to have mine checked first.
‘Bu
‘When I had my blood pressure checked, the health sh
advisor looked up at me with a look filled with shock and as
concern. ‘I think you need to see your GP – right now,’
she said.
Up until that moment I hadn’t a clue that anything was
‘I had no idea’
wrong. I was 62 years old, I felt fine and I tried to do the things I did when I
was 30 years younger. Alright, I was carrying a bit more weight than I should
but then who doesn’t?
‘But I don’t feel anything,’ I said. ‘Yes,’ she explained, ‘that’s why it’s called a
silent killer.’

9
This booklet has been written to help you make the most of your blood
pressure medicines. Most people with high blood pressure will need to take
medicines to lower it, but this can sometimes be difficult to accept.
This booklet aims to answer the most common questions people have about
their blood pressure medicines. It gives you information on:

What high blood pressure actually means

Who gets high blood pressure and why
Lifestyle changes to lower blood pressure
Medicines for high blood pressure
The booklet has been written with help from people who have high
blood pressure, and from professionals who are experts in the field.
It has been designed to give you the information you need to make the
right choices for you.
For more information, go to www.bloodpressureuk.org.

About Blood Pressure UK

We are the UK’s leading blood pressure charity - lowering the nation’s blood
pressure to prevent stroke, heart attack and heart disease. High blood
pressure can be successfully treated and prevented. We are here to help.
For more information, please contact:
Blood Pressure UK
Wolfson Institute
Charterhouse Square
London EC1M 6BQ
Registered charity number: 1058944 Company number: 03251531

www.bloodpressureuk.org
Head Office: 020 7882 6255
Helpline: 020 7882 6218

Helping you to lower your

blood pressure