What Is an Unsafe Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is categorized into four types: normal (115/75), prehypertension (120/80-139/89), stage one hypertension (140/90-159/99) and stage two hypertension (160/100 or higher). Anything higher than normal is consider a health risk and must be treated correctly.

Too high

• Blood pressure over the normal 115/75 mm Hg level is considered unsafe and has serious long term health consequences. As your blood pressure level elevates, the dangers become more immediate.

Diseases

• Many diseases result from high blood pressure: heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure are just a few. Long term effects include dementia and sight loss.

Organs

• The kidneys have an important role in hypertension. Kidney dysfunction causes high blood pressure, and high blood pressure causes kidney failure.

Causes

• Ninety percent of people with high blood pressure have no discernible underlying cause. However, some contributors are genetics, kidney failure, obesity, stress and poor diet.

Medication

• Your doctor will prescribe drugs from a number of types to treat your high blood pressure: diuretics, beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers and renin inhibitors. Which drugs you take will depend on your overall health and the level of your blood pressure.