What Is Prehypertension?

Blood pressure is one of the vital signs your doctor uses to determine the state of your health. The American Heart Association defines five categories of blood pressure readings. Prehypertension is one of those categories. If you have prehypertension, you have an increased risk of developing certain health problems, some of which can be serious, reports the Mayo Clinic.

Consideration

• Your blood pressure is a measure of the force exerted against the walls of the arteries as your heart pumps blood through them. The more force the blood exerts, the higher your blood pressure. A blood pressure reading consists of two numbers, one written above the other. The top number, called systolic pressure, is the amount of pressure against the artery walls when the heart beats. The bottom number, called diastolic pressure, is the pressure between heartbeats, when the heart is resting.

Categories of Blood Pressure Readings

• The five categories of blood pressure readings are normal, prehypertension, stage 1 hypertension, stage 2 hypertension and hypertensive crisis. Hypertension is the medical name for high blood pressure.

Identification

• Prehypertension describes blood pressure readings that are slightly above normal but not in the high blood pressure, or hypertension, range. You have prehypertension if your blood pressure falls between 120/80 and 139/89. The first stage of high blood pressure ranges from 140/90 to 159/99, and second stage hypertension is any reading over 160/100. You experience hypertensive crisis and need emergency care if your blood pressure is higher than 180/110.

Significance

• If you have prehypertension, you are likely to develop hypertension, which can lead to serious medical conditions, such as stroke, heart attack and even heart failure. Making some lifestyle changes can help keep your blood pressure below the hypertension range. Recommendations include eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, losing weight if you are overweight, not smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation and learning to manage stress.

Statistics

• Approximately 25 percent of adults in the United States have prehypertension, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and slightly more than 30 percent have hypertension. The CDC also reports that in 2006, high blood pressure was the primary or contributing cause of death for 326,000 Americans.