Blood pressure is the pressure of blood in your arteries. Your blood pressure is recorded as two figures. For example, 140 / 90 mm Hg.

• The top (first) number is the systolic pressure. This is the pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts.
• The bottom (second) number is the diastolic pressure.This is the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between each heartbeat.

High Blood Pressure is also known as hypertension. The pressure in the arteries depends on how hard the heart pumps, and how much resistance there is in the arteries. It is thought that slight narrowing of the arteries increases the resistance to blood flow, which increases the blood pressure.

Factors that increases Blood Pressure include :

• • Smoking.
  • Lack of physical activity (a sedentary lifestyle).
  • Obesity.
  • An unhealthy diet.
  • Excess alcohol.
  • Stress
  • High cholesterol blood level.