This is a persistent increase in arterial pressure – above 140 mm Hg for systolic and/or 90 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure. Current understanding is that the safest limits are 120-130/70-80 mm Hg, with target values depending on the presence of risk factors, organ damage or cardiovascular disease. Higher blood pressure values are the cause of vascular complications such as aortic dissection, cerebrovascular disease like stroke, transient attack, dementia, ischemic heart disease, eye complications and kidney failure. The successful treatment of arterial hypertension lies in the prevention of the mentioned diseases
