HEART HEALTH –
May 7, 2026 – Unlike some diseases and health conditions that present with symptoms early, high blood pressure is not as easy to recognize. That’s why knowing the most common high blood pressure causes—and anticipating a potential diagnosis—are so crucial to maintaining optimal heart health. “High blood pressure, in most cases, is asymptomatic,” said Lawrence Phillips, M.D., a cardiologist and associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health. “So people don’t feel that they have it, which is why regular screening is so important.”
Often referred to as a “silent killer,” about half of Americans have high blood pressure, per the American Heart Association (AHA). Left unaddressed, it can cause hardening of the arteries, stroke, kidney damage, and even early cognitive decline and dementia.
Before we go any further, what is blood pressure? In the simplest terms, blood pressure is the force of your blood against the walls of your blood vessels and arteries, and it is expressed as two numbers: The top number (systolic blood pressure) represents the pressure or force in the arteries when your heart beats, and the bottom number (diastolic blood pressure) is the pressure measured between heartbeats, explained Amnon Beniaminovitz, M.D., the founder and lead cardiologist at Vivify Medical in New York City.
