Sheldon is a 27-year-old cyber-security analyst who spends roughly 12-14 hours/day at his desk. In the five years since college,he has gained 65 pounds.

Sheldon  is a 27-year-old cyber-security analyst who spends roughly 12-14 hours/day at his desk. In the five years since college,he has gained 65 pounds. Recently, Sheldon complained of intermittent chest pain, difficulty breathing, and at times felt like his heart stopped then started again with a big thump. He became more concerned when severe headaches and blurred vision interrupted his workday. At the urgent care center, Sheldon was asked to sit in a chair with his elbow at the same height as his heart while a blood pressure cuff, or sphygmomanometer, was inflated around his arm. The sphygmomanometer measured his blood pressure, the force exerted on artery walls as the heart pumps blood, of his brachial artery in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). The nurse practitioner immediately identified Sheldon’s issue as hypertension, or high blood pressure (HBP).