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When your heart beats, it pumps blood around your body.
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As the blood moves, it pushes against the sides of the blood vessels.
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The strength of this pushing is your blood pressure.
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As your heart pumps, the flow of blood in your arteries - and your blood pressure -
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rises and falls in a regular wave pattern.
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Blood pressure is shown as two numbers.
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The top number, or systolic pressure, is the pressure
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when your heart beats.
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The bottom number, or diastolic pressure, is the pressure
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when your heart relaxes.
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Healthy blood vessels can stretch to allow for these changes in pressure.
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Damaged blood vessels are less stretchy, which increases blood pressure.
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Constant high blood pressure puts extra strain on your heart and blood vessels.
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Over time, this increases your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
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It can also cause problems for your eyes and kidneys.
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High blood pressure speeds up the process of atherosclerosis,
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where fatty streaks form inside the arteries.
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If one of these cracks, it can cause a blood clot in your arteries.
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This is what causes a heart attack or stroke.
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It's never too late to make changes to protect your heart. Think about your future:
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being there for your family, your plans and dreams.
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Could your blood pressure affect this?
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There are steps you can take today to lower your risk.
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If you smoke, stop smoking.
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Make heart healthy eating and drinking choices,
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Move more,
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Lose weight,
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Talk to your doctor about medications.