A systolic pressure above 140 mmHg or a diastolic pressure above 90 mmHg defines which condition?

• A. Hypotension
• B. Hypertension
• C. Aneurysm
• D. Orthostatic hypotension

Answer: (B)

High blood pressure is defined by persistently elevated pressure in the arteries. When systolic is above 140 mmHg or diastolic is above 90 mmHg, that level of elevation is categorized as hypertension. This condition signals increased workload on the heart and greater risk for heart attack, stroke, and kidney problems over time. It’s important to emphasize that a single high reading doesn’t diagnose hypertension—repeated elevated readings on different occasions with proper technique are used to confirm it.

In contrast, very low readings indicate hypotension, which is not what this threshold describes. Orthostatic hypotension refers to a drop in blood pressure on standing, leading to dizziness, rather than consistently high pressure. An aneurysm is a structural abnormality of a blood vessel and isn’t defined by these BP thresholds.