What blood pressure numbers meanīlood pressure is recorded as two numbers, such as 120/80. The medical name for low blood pressure is hypotension. The medical name for high blood pressure is hypertension. If blood pressure remains high over a long period of time, it can lead to a heart attack, stroke, heart failure or kidney disease. It is affected by various factors, including body position, breathing, emotional state, exercise and sleep. It changes to meet your body’s needs and it is normal for your blood pressure to go up and down throughout the day. Blood pressure does not stay the same all the time. Blood pressure is the pressure of blood on the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood around your body.