What Is The Difference Between Hypertension And High Blood Pressure, And What Do Blood Pressure Numbers Mean?

Dr. Sica answers the question: 'Hypertension Versus High Blood Pressure?'

By
Domenic Sica, M.D., Chairman, Clinical Pharmacology and Hypertension, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center
May 2, 2008, 2:27 PM ET
1 min read

— -- Question: What is the difference between hypertension and high blood pressure, and what do blood pressure numbers mean?

Answer: Well, hypertension and high blood pressure are two terms that are almost used interchangeably. What you have is a number above which you have a defined diagnosis -- at least that's how we tend to do this in medicine.

And the numbers actually mean risk -- the higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk -- and the interesting thing is the risk begins to occur even at relatively normal blood pressure readings. So the higher you go, the worse off you're going to be, from a blood pressure point of view.

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