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High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Prevention Measure |
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Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood out into the arteries. Blood pressure is highest when the heart beats. This is called systolic pressure. When the heart is at rest, between beats, blood pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure.
Blood pressure readings use the systolic and diastolic pressures. Ranges for normal and abnormal blood pressures include:
A blood pressure reading that is between 120 and 139 for the top number, or between 80 and 89 for the bottom number is considered "at risk" for high blood pressure.
High blood pressure or hypertension usually has no symptoms, but it can cause serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure. Hypertension is a chronic condition that is often controllable in an outpatient setting with appropriate use of drug therapy. Hospital admission for hypertension is not a measure of hospital quality, but rather one way to measure outpatient care for hypertension. Proper outpatient treatment for hypertension may decrease the likelihood of hospital admission for hypertension.
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Quality Measures 
