Blood Pressure Resources

Source: American Heart Association

High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke. In the United States, about 74.5 million people have high blood pressure which is roughly 1 in 3 adults.

Blood pressure varies depending on whether the heart is actively pumping blood or if the heart is resting in-between pumps. A blood pressure reading has two numbers- the systolic pressure (when the heart is actively pumping) and diastolic pressure (when the heart is resting between pumps). Blood pressure is written as follows:(systolic number)/(diastolic number), or, 120/80 mmHg.

High Blood Pressure Education Materials

Unless otherwise noted, these English and Spanish flyers were developed by the Start With Your Heart: NC Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program. They are meant to be used as a set to explain what is high blood pressure; to provide education about risk factors and effects; and to promote lifestyle change.

• What is High Blood Pressure
• What is High Blood Pressure-Spanish
• Understanding Your Blood Pressure Numbers
• Understanding Your Blood Pressure Numbers -Spanish
• What High Blood Pressure Can Do To My Body
• What High Blood Pressure Can Do To My Body-Spanish
• Things I Can Do To Help Myself
• Things I Can Do To Help Myself-Spanish
• Blood Pressure Wallet Cards



• Blood Pressure: How Do You Measure Up (Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association)

Blood Pressure Specialist Training

The Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program is currently offering Blood Pressure Measurement Specialists training in North Carolina. Please contact Elynor Wilson elwilson@pittcountync.gov or Christine Ransdell cransdell@arhs-nc.org for more information about this training.

Korotkoff Sounds and Blood Pressure in the 21st Century DVD is available here.

Community Resources

• The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (National High Blood Pressure Education Program)
• A population-based policy and system Change approach to prevent and control hypertension (Institute of Medicine)
• Interventions used to improve control of blood pressure in patients with hypertension (Cochrane Database of System Review 2010)
• CDC Vital Signs

For more information about Hypertension Awareness Month (May), please see Hypertension Awareness month page.