“Are you aware that you can have high blood pressure and still feel perfectly healthy?” asks a recent Berkeley Wellness newsletter. Many people with high blood pressure exhibit no symptoms, but that doesn’t make it any less dangerous.

About a quarter of all Americans have prehypertension, and full-blown high blood pressure is the number one indicator that a person will suffer a stroke — the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S. And, Berkeley Wellness adds: “Not only does it increase your risk of stroke, but also of heart disease and heart attacks. And that’s not all: evidence has shown that chronic high blood pressure can contribute to dementia, kidney disease, and vision loss, and it can cause sexual performance issues in both men and women.”

Fortunately, high blood pressure is easy to diagnose and usually easy to treat. Make sure to ask about your blood pressure at your next checkup, and if yours is high, talk with your medical provider about how to lower it.