Concerned about a high blood pressure reading at your last doctor’s appointment? Your concern may be misplaced. Some doctors believe that hypertension is commonly over- or misdiagnosed, and official blood pressure guidelines from medical organizations around the world differ.
Blood pressure measures the force the heart exerts on blood vessels. Systolic pressure (the first or upper number) measures the force in the arteries as the heart beats; while diastolic pressure (the second or lower number) is the measure of force in the arteries as the heart rests between beats. It’s measured in millimeters of mercury (mm HG).
