ABSTRACT
Blood pressure is necessary to perfuse the organs of the body with blood, so is vital to the sustainment of life. The normal blood pressure (BP) is 120 mmHg systolic and 80 mmHg diastolic. Hypertension describes the state of chronically raised blood pressure, and is commonly defined as a BP in excess of 140/90 mmHg; about 20% of the population are, by this measure, hypertensive.
