The medical condition of persistently high blood pressure is called hypertension. It occurs when pressure remains elevated in the arteries over time, increasing the workload on the heart and stressing blood-vessel walls. Hypertension is also commonly called high blood pressure or arterial hypertension.
Blood pressure is recorded with two numbers. Systolic pressure is the pressure when the heart contracts, while diastolic pressure is the pressure between beats. A single high reading does not by itself establish persistent hypertension; clinicians generally use repeated measurements, and home or ambulatory monitoring can help reveal differences between readings in a medical office and everyday life.
Hypertension often produces no obvious symptoms, which is why it is sometimes called a “silent” condition. If uncontrolled, it can contribute to stroke, coronary artery disease, heart failure, kidney disease, and vision loss. Risk is influenced by factors such as family history, excess body weight, high salt intake, alcohol use, smoking, and inactivity. Hypotension means unusually low blood pressure, tachycardia means a fast heart rate, and anemia concerns reduced oxygen-carrying capacity—not persistent arterial pressure.