Welcome to Public Health moment from the University of Minnesota. February is National Heart Month, an annual campaign to alert people to the risks of heart disease. One risk factor is high blood pressure, but what does it mean to have high blood pressure? We asked Jim Neaton, biostatistician at the University of Minnesota. High blood pressure is defined by guidelines as a systolic blood pressure above 140 or a diastolic above 90. However, there's a graded relationship of blood pressure and risk. Even levels of systolic, say 120-140 are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. People should be conscious of that. Neaton says that 120/80 is ideal. But if your blood pressure is higher, what can you do to lower it? If it's higher, above 91, 40, you may want to consider talking to your Dr. about using drugs to lower your blood pressure as well as making lifestyle changes. If it's more moderate levels above 120, but less than 140 for the systolic, it's time to consider lifestyle changes such as weight loss, exercise, alcohol restriction, sodium restriction. These have all been shown to have a favorable effect on your blood pressure. Neaton adds that while high blood pressure can be attributed to heredity, it is primarily linked, he says, to one's lifestyle with another public health moment. I'm John Finnegan.