High blood pressure. The prevalence of this clinical disease in acculturated societies is sufficiently high to warrant its being referred to as a public health problem. Blood pressure is expressed in two numbers: the higher number is the systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the blood vessels while the heart is contracting. The lower number is the diastolic blood pressure, which is the residual pressure that exists between heart contractions, or while the heart is relaxing. Normal blood pressure provides sufficient blood flow to the vital organs, including the brain, heart, kidneys, intestine, and skeletal muscle.