- How do I get an accurate blood pressure reading with my cuff?Use an upper-arm cuff that fits, sit quietly for 5 minutes with your back supported and feet flat, rest your arm at heart level, and don't talk.
- How do I track my meals to help lower my blood pressure?Focus on sodium (salt) first, then add more vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans.
- Is meat bad for blood pressure?Processed meats like bacon, ham, sausage, hot dogs and deli meats are usually very high in sodium, which can raise blood pressure.
- How does salt affect blood pressure?Too much sodium makes your body hold on to extra water, which raises blood pressure.
- Can young people have high blood pressure?Yes.
- How does exercise help blood pressure?Regular physical activity is one of the lifestyle changes linked to lower blood pressure.
- Do coffee and alcohol affect blood pressure?Caffeine can raise blood pressure for a short time, so avoid it for 30 minutes before you measure.
- Systolic vs diastolic: which blood pressure number matters more?Both numbers matter.
- Does high blood pressure have symptoms?Usually not.
- When is high blood pressure an emergency?A reading of 180/120 or higher is a hypertensive crisis.
- What causes high blood pressure?Most of the time there's no single cause.
- How to choose a home blood pressure monitorPick an automatic upper-arm cuff that's been clinically validated, in the right cuff size for your arm.
- High blood pressure in pregnancy and after birthIn pregnancy, 140/90 or higher is high and needs your provider's attention; 160/110 or higher is urgent.
- Blood pressure medicines: the basicsSeveral kinds of medicine lower blood pressure, and many people need one or two.
- How high blood pressure affects your heart, brain and kidneysHigh blood pressure makes your heart and blood vessels work harder for years, usually without symptoms.
- Blood pressure vs heart rate: what's the difference?Blood pressure is how hard your blood pushes on your artery walls; heart rate (pulse) is how many times your heart beats a minute.
- Normal blood pressure by age and sexFor adults, the healthy range is the same at every age and for men and women: under 120/80.
- How do I take my blood pressure at home?Sit quietly for 5 minutes, rest your arm at heart level, and take 2–3 readings about a minute apart.
- How do I keep a blood pressure log for my doctor?Home readings show your doctor how your blood pressure behaves in everyday life, not just during one visit.
- Should I measure blood pressure in the morning or evening?Blood pressure changes through the day, so when you measure matters.
- How can I keep track of a parent's blood pressure?You can help a lot without taking over — support home monitoring and stay in the loop, on their terms.
Use your cuff with FourNumbers
- How to use your iHealth blood pressure monitor with FourNumbersTurn on Apple Health sharing in the iHealth MyVitals app, then allow FourNumbers to read Blood Pressure and Heart Rate.
- How to use your Omron blood pressure monitor with FourNumbersLink Apple Health inside the OMRON connect app, then allow FourNumbers to read Blood Pressure and Heart Rate.
- How to use your Withings blood pressure monitor with FourNumbersTurn on Export health data to Apple Health in the Withings app, allow FourNumbers to read Blood Pressure and Heart Rate, and refresh the Withings app after each reading.
- Use any blood pressure cuff with FourNumbersFourNumbers works with any upper-arm or wrist cuff: snap a photo of the screen, type the numbers in, or bring readings in from Apple Health.
Supplements and diets: what the evidence says
- Does vitamin D lower blood pressure?Probably not.
- Does magnesium lower blood pressure?A little.
- Potassium and blood pressure: food, powders and salt substitutesMore potassium from food lowers blood pressure for many people (about 4–5 points in people with high blood pressure).
- Is a low-carb diet good for blood pressure?It can help, mostly through weight loss.
- Supplements for blood pressure: what the evidence saysNo supplement replaces blood pressure medicine or the proven basics.