When our heart beats, it pumps blood to all parts of the body for giving energy and oxygen to the cells. As the blood moves, it pushes against the sides of the blood vessels. The strength (force) of this pushing is our blood pressure. If the blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on our arteries (and our heart) which in turn might lead to heart attacks and strokes. Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers i.e. the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats). For example, a blood pressure measurement of 120/80 mmHg (millimetres of mercury) is expressed verbally as “120 over 80.”