HYPERTENSION RESOURCE CENTRE

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Hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure, is a fairly common chronic disease in the community. In Singapore, about 1 in 5 adults is hypertensive, and this figure is set to rise as our population ages.

It is often called a “silent killer” because most people do not experience any symptoms even when their blood pressure is high. Many discover that they have hypertension only when complications develop, such as after a stroke or heart attack.

HYPERTENSION - OVERVIEW

The blood pressure measured is the pressure within the blood vessels, as blood is pumped by the heart around the body. This pressure is highest (“systolic” pressure) when the heart contracts to push blood out into the arteries. It is lowest (“diastolic” pressure) when the heart relaxes to fill up with blood again from the venous system.