Persistent hypertension is one of the highest risk factors for stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and arterial aneurysm. The Tokyo Women's Medical University study also show blood pressure readings are higher on Monday than at any other time of the week. On average it tends to peak in the early morning, around 7 or 8 am. Each person's blood pressure profile may vary due to daily rhythms in the activity of cells that line blood vessels and the release of stress hormones. But it will revert to its normal levels once the source of stress is removed.
Blood pressure can be temporarily elevated by stress or anxiety. According to the National Institutes of Health, blood pressure readings of 140/90 mmHg and higher on recurring measurements is considered hypertension (see also below table for the new High Blood Pressure guidelines from AHA). High blood pressure (or hypertension) is a condition in which blood pressure is chronically elevated.
