If you are able to control your blood pressure you reduce your chances of getting heart disease or having a stroke. But if you are a woman, keeping your blood pressure at normal levels has been shown to afford you greater protection against heart disease than men.
According to the Hypertension Guidelines for Bermuda 2011, hypertensive women who lower their systolic pressure (the top figure) by 15mmHG reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by 40 percent compared with men who were shown to have a 20 percent reduction.
What the numbers mean and how to keep yours in a healthy range.