What do the numbers mean in a blood pressure measurement?
What do the numbers mean in a blood pressure measurement?
Systolic blood pressure, the top number, measures the force the heart exerts on the walls of the arteries each time it beats. Diastolic blood pressure, the bottom number, measures the force the heart exerts on the walls of the arteries in between beats.
What does 120 MMHG reading indicate?
The new guidelines categorise blood pressure as normal (<120/80 mm Hg), pre-hypertension (120/80 to 139/89), stage 1 hypertension (140/90 to 159/99), and stage 2 hypertension (≥160/100 or higher).
Which is more important systolic or diastolic blood pressure?
Over the years, research has found that both numbers are equally important in monitoring heart health. However, most studies show a greater risk of stroke and heart disease related to higher systolic pressures compared with elevated diastolic pressures.
What does each blood pressure reading mean?
The first or top number is your systolic blood pressure. This is the amount of pressure in your arteries during the contraction of your heart muscle. The second or bottom number is your diastolic blood pressure. This is the lowest level your blood pressure reaches as your heart relaxes between beats.
What does systolic and diastolic mean?
Blood pressure is measured using two numbers: The first number, called systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The second number, called diastolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats.
What does the 120/80 mean in blood pressure?
The “120” is the top number and is known as systolic blood pressure. It represents the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The “80” is the bottom number and is known as diastolic blood pressure. This is the pressure measured between your heartbeats when your heart is relaxing.
What is a good blood pressure by age?
Normal Blood Pressure By Age
| Age | SBP | |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 51-55 | 125.5 |
| 56-60 | 129.5 | |
| 61-65 | 143.5 | |
| Female | 21-25 | 115.5 |
Should I worry if my diastolic is high?
Answer: If you don’t have other health issues that increase your risk of cardiovascular problems, the situation you describe — isolated diastolic hypertension — isn’t dangerous now. But it’s not normal, either. People with elevated diastolic blood pressure often develop elevated systolic blood pressure over time.
What is good blood pressure by age?
What if systolic is high and diastolic is low?
For example, a healthy reading is below 120 over less than 80. If your systolic blood pressure is higher than 130 but your diastolic blood pressure is under 80, that’s called isolated systolic hypertension. It’s the most common kind of high blood pressure in older people.
What does a low diastolic indicate?
If you have a low diastolic pressure, it means you have a low coronary artery pressure, and that means your heart is going to lack blood and oxygen. That is what we call ischemia, and that kind of chronic, low-level ischemia may weaken the heart over time and potentially lead to heart failure.
Is 90 diastolic too high?
This is what your diastolic blood pressure number means: Normal: Lower than 80. Stage 1 hypertension: 80-89. Stage 2 hypertension: 90 or more.
What causes the bottom number of blood pressure to be high?
Diastolic pressure is the bottom number of a blood pressure reading. IDH occurs if someone has elevated diastolic blood pressure, increasing a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke. Smoking, consuming alcohol, obesity, and high blood fat may lead to IDH.
What causes systolic to be high?
High systolic blood pressure can have many causes. As we age, our arteries stiffen, and over time this contributes to high blood pressure. The genes we inherit also can cause high blood pressure. Certain underlying conditions like thyroid disease, cortisol excess, and obesity can also cause high blood pressure.
What is the right blood pressure by age?
What is a dangerously low bottom number for blood pressure?
A 2016 study that lasted more than 3 decades and involved more than 11,000 people found that a diastolic blood pressure below 60 mm Hg is dangerous. People with this level are 50 percent more likely to have heart damage. This is compared with those who have a low diastolic pressure level between 80 and 89 mm Hg.
Is a diastolic reading of 55 too low?
A diastolic blood pressure reading of 50 mm Hg is too low. Once your diastolic number goes below 60 mm Hg, it can make you dizzy or lightheaded and consistently low diastolic blood pressure can lead to heart disease. Yes, a diastolic blood pressure reading of 50 mm Hg is too low.
