These cases are called primary hypertension.

In over 90% of cases, no specific cause can be identified. Extremely high blood pressure may cause symptoms like dizziness, visual disturbance, headache, fatigue and facial flushing.

That is why it is considered a 'silent killer'. Hypertension seldom causes symptoms until complications develop. The total prevalence of hypertension increased steadily with age from 4.5% among those aged 15-24 to 64.8% among those aged 65-84. A child or adolescent is said to have hypertension if he or she has a SBP or DBP ≥ 95th percentile for age, height and gender on repeated measurements.Īccording to the Population Health Survey (PHS) 2014/15 conducted by the Department of Health, the total prevalence of hypertension combining cases that were self-reported or detected by measurement during health examination was 27.7% (25.5% for females and 30.1% for males) among persons aged 15-84, with 47.5% of them being undiagnosed before the PHS. SBP between 120 mmHg and 139 mmHg or DBP between 80 mmHg and 89 mmHg is considered pre-hypertension and should also be of concern. But for an adult, if systolic blood pressure (SBP) is persistently ≥ 140 millimetres of mercury (mmHg) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) is persistently ≥ 90 mmHg, the person is said to have hypertension.

The first number (systolic pressure) represents the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart contracts to pump blood, whereas the second or bottom number (diastolic pressure) represents the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats.īlood pressure changes from minute to minute throughout the day with posture, physical activities, emotions, and sleep, etc. But if blood pressure rises and stays elevated over time, a number of serious health problems may ensue, including stroke, coronary heart disease and heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and even early death.īlood pressure is written as two numbers. A normal blood pressure is required to push the blood through the body and supply oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a chronic disease in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated.

Male blood pressure chart by age