High blood pressure is an illness that is marked by a blood pressure that is chronically increased. The most life-threatening secondary damages are coronary heart diseases and strokes. Depending on age and country, for about 10-30% are affected.

Blood pressure is the pressure that is inside the blood and coronary vessels. It is determined by the power of the heart, the vascular resistance and the blood volume.  If the pressure is continuously too high, a damaging of the blood vessels is very probable; secondary illnesses might threaten the whole body.

The blood pressure is stated by two numbers: an ideal number is under ?120 to 80?. The first number tells the systolic blood pressure that is the highest pressure that can be attained by the heart. The second number describes the diastolic blood pressure, which is the lowest pressure that can be found in the arteries while the heart is getting refilled with blood.

The standard values depend on the age group measured. A high blood pressure is called ?hypertonia?. We designate a blood pressure higher than 140/90 at rest as increased.

According to the criteria of WHO, a systolic blood pressure higher than 120 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure higher than 80mmHg are deemed borderline, a systolic blood pressure higher than 140 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure higher than 90 mmHg as hypertonic.