Hypertension is another term for high blood pressure, and it occurs when your blood creates too much force against the insides of your blood vessels. Blood pressure is measured in two numbers that represent the force when your heart beats — your systolic pressure — and when your heart rests between beats — your diastolic pressure. 

A healthy blood pressure reading is 120/80 or lower. Anything higher is considered elevated, and once your blood pressure surpasses 130/80, you have hypertension — your risk of health complications increases as your blood pressure increases.

Hypertension is sometimes called a silent killer because it doesn’t usually cause any noticeable symptoms until you have a heart attack, stroke, or another dangerous cardiac event.