Is a blood pressure around 140 to 153 (the first number) considered hypertension? Also why is high blood pressure dangerous?

Hello, For most people, a blood pressure higher than 140/90 is considered high, which is commonly called hypertension. In certain types of people (e.g. elderly, diabetics, those with kidney problems), we can aim for lower or higher values. Given your age and since I do not know your history, I am not in a position to know what values we would aim for you. In addition, when taking blood pressure readings, we must ensure with the person that the blood pressure was taken in the right way and see if there are certain lifestyle habits that could be modified. You should therefore discuss this further with your pharmacist or physician to evaluate all of this Nevertheless, only values above 180/110 are an emergency and require immediate medical attention. When we occasionally have values above the target values for us, it is not dangerous because there are certain situations (e.g. stress, physical activity) that normally increase the blood pressure. However, when our blood pressure is higher than the target values for us, and this is done on a sustained basis and most of the time, it can increase our risk of having cardiovascular problems in the long term. Indeed, our vessels are like pipes. If they are inelastic and have too much pressure inside, they are more likely to break, which can lead to strokes, kidney problems, etc. Also, the heart, being a pump, will tend to strain more and tire prematurely, which can lead to heart attacks.

We look forward to hearing from you,Sarah-Yan Chagnon, pharmacist