Blood pressure is measured in two numbers: systolic and diastolic. The top number is the systolic blood pressure, which measures the pressure caused by the heart contracting and squeezing out blood.

At the genetic level, any two people are more than 99 percent the same as each other, no matter their skin color or ethnic origin. Still, both race ... higher blood pressure, and higher use ...

Monitoring your blood pressure is a vital part of maintaining heart health. When you understand what your blood pressure readings mean, you can make informed decisions about your lifestyle choices ...