Blood pressure is the pressure of blood against the blood vessel walls as the heart pumps. When someone has high blood pressure (hypertension), the heart and arteries have a much heavier workload. The heart has to pump harder and the arteries are under greater strain as they carry blood.
Having high blood pressure puts someone at a higher risk for stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, loss of vision, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
