Question: Why do doctors keep worrying about my blood pressure. Is it really that important to keep it low?
Ariy plumber will tell you that if a pipe carries water at a pressure higher than the pressure it was designed for, it will eventually rupture. If the pressure in the pipe is not only to high but varies rapidly in its level, the rupture will occur even sooner because of the excessive stresses on the pipe.
Exactly the same situation occurs in the human body when the pressure of blood in the arteries becomes too high. The arteries of a person with high blood pressure will become hardened, brittle and eventually rupture, causing a stroke, heart attack or other serious injury to vital organs.
The majority of people with high blood pressure have no symptoms of the problem for many years, and by that time it may be too late. Once diagnosed, tests will be done to see if there is any specific cause for the increased blood pressure, but the majority of people have ‘essential’ hypertension, for which there is no single identifiable cause. Treatment is necessary in all cases of hypertension to prevent the serious long-term problems that may occur.
There is no cure for high blood pressure, but it can be very successfully controlled in the majority of patients by taking one or two tablets a day.

Question: What is the correct figure for blood pressure? Mine is 140/90 and my doctor keeps checking it every time I see him. He says it is alright, but this constant checking worries me.
The actual values for blood pressure vary with many things such as exercise, anxiety, age, fitness, smoking and drinking habits, weight and medications. This is why doctors never give absolute values for what is normal and abnormal in blood pressure values.
It is a good idea to have your doctor check the pressure at regular intervals, particularly if you are over 40. Your general practitioner is a good and careful one. It is very easy to forget that a patient might have a blood pressure problem, and not take it regularly. Your blood pressure is bordering on being too high, and that is why he is checking it every visit.
There are two figures quoted when blood pressure is measured. When the heart contracts, blood is moved around the body under high (or systolic) pressure. When the heart relaxes between beats, the blood continues to flow due to the lower (or diastolic) pressure exerted by the elasticity of the artery walls. In your case, your systolic pressure is 140, and diastolic 90.
When one, or both, of these pressures exceeds a safe level, the person is said to suffer from high blood pressure or hypertension. It is more dangerous to have the diastolic pressure high, as the systolic pressure can vary considerably due to exercise or stress. You can help prevent and treat hypertension by keeping your weight within reasonable limits, not eating excessive amounts of salt, not smoking and exercising.