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Article: High Blood Pressure; Overview.
- Article from:
- NWHRC Health Center - High Blood Pressure
- Article date:
- March 15, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 National Women's Health Resource Center. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Blood pressure is the amount of force your blood exerts against the walls of your arteries. Normal blood pressure effectively and harmlessly pushes the blood from your heart to your body's organs and muscles so they can receive the oxygen and nutrients they need.
Blood pressure is variable -- it rises and falls during the day. When blood pressure stays elevated over time, however, it is called high blood pressure or hypertension.
According to the most recent estimates, up to 65 million Americans have hypertension, or high blood pressure, and nearly half are women, according to the American Heart Association. High blood pressure killed nearly 50,000 ...