Blood Pressure For Women Over 60

Make Sleep A Priority

Although often neglected, sleep is a fundamental part of a persons overall health.

Our bodies need rest to recharge and prepare us for the days ahead. Sleep deprivation and sleep disorders such as insomnia are associated with hypertension, especially during middle age. Not getting enough sleep can hinder your bodys ability to regulate stress hormones, which can lead to increased blood pressure.

According to the CDC, about 35% of adults report not getting enough sleep.

So, how much sleep do we actually need?

The short answer? It varies. The amount of sleep a person needs changes with age. An average adult should aim at getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.

Many underlying conditions could affect your ability to sleep well. However, with the right mindset and a few simple changes to your lifestyle, you can easily form healthy sleeping habits.

You can read more about how to get a good nights sleep HERE.

Tips For Taking Blood Pressure Medication

Untreated high blood pressure can increase your risk of serious health problems. If your doctor prescribes medication to lower your blood pressure, remember:

• If you take blood pressure medication and your blood pressure goes down, it means medication and lifestyle changes are working. If another doctor asks if you have high blood pressure, the answer is, “Yes, but it is being treated.”
• Healthy lifestyle changes may help lower the dosage you need.
• Get up slowly from a seated or lying position and stand for a bit before walking. This lets your blood pressure adjust before walking to prevent lightheadedness and falls.
• Tell your doctor about all the drugs you take. Don’t forget to mention over-the-counter drugs, including vitamins and supplements. They may affect your blood pressure. They also can change how well your blood pressure medication works.
• Blood pressure medication should be taken at the same time each day as part of your daily routine. For example, take it in the morning with breakfast or in the evening before brushing your teeth. If you miss a dose, do not double the dose the next day.
• Remember to refill your medication before you run out and bring it with you when traveling. Its important to keep taking your medication unless your doctor tells you to stop.
• Before having surgery, ask your doctor if you should take your blood pressure medication on the day of your operation.

How Older Adults Can Maintain A Healthy Blood Pressure

Maintaining healthy blood pressure doesnt have to be complicated. Simple lifestyle changes can help:

• Exercise. National guidelines recommend adults of all ages engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. If mobility or health conditions are a problem, older adults should try to be as physically active as possible.
• Lose weight. If your loved one is overweight, every 2 pounds lost can help reduce blood pressure by 1 mm Hg.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet low in salt. The DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish, and low-fat dairy foods. It was designed specifically to help lower blood pressure. Try to limit sodium to no more than 2,300 milligrams per day.
• Avoid drinking alcohol. Alcohol can raise your blood pressure. If your loved one chooses to drink alcohol, limit it to no more than one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.
• Dont smoke. Tobacco damages your artery walls. If your loved one smokes, ask their doctor how to help them quit.
• Manage stress. Try simple relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing exercises or meditation.

In some cases, diet and lifestyle changes arent enough to lower blood pressure. Your loved one may be having a difficult time achieving significant changes in their lifestyle, or their hypertension may be too severe to treat with diet and exercise alone.

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What Are The Treatments For Low Blood Pressure

The treatments for low blood pressure depend on what caused the condition. Your doctor will work with you to address the cause of the hypotension. In severe cases of hypotension, your doctor may give you IV fluids to raise your blood pressure.

Depending on a variety of factors, such as your age and the type of hypotension, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following: dietary changes, lifestyle changes and/or medications.

To make dietary changes, your doctor might tell you to:

• Stay hydrated by drinking more water throughout the day.
• Drink less alcohol.
• Increase your salt intake slightly because sodium raises blood pressure.
• Eat smaller, healthy meals and limit carbohydrates.

You can take several steps to avoid a sudden drop in blood pressure. Your doctor may recommend that you make the following lifestyle changes:

• Wear compression stockings.
• Get up slowly after youve been sitting or lying down.
• Avoid standing for long periods of time.
• Sit up and breathe deeply for a few minutes before getting out of bed.

Your doctor might prescribe medications like:

• Fludrocortisone, which increases blood volume.
• Midodrine, which increases blood pressure.

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The new guidelines change nothing if you’re younger than 60. But if you’re 60 or older, the target has moved up: Your goal is to keep your blood pressure at 150/90 or lower. If you have kidney disease or diabetes, your target used to be 130/80 or lower now it’s 140/90 or lower.

Raymond R. Townsend, M.D., director of the hypertension program at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of the panel that wrote the new guidelines, says that the change is based on the best available data from randomized controlled trials, considered the gold standard for scientific evidence.

But every patient is different, he says. And while “some will be better off with blood pressure at 130, others whose blood pressure is running 140 to 146, and already on 11 medications, don’t need to add a 12th pill to lower their blood pressure to 138. A doctor’s judgment trumps guidelines.”

The dissenting panel members, however, say the evidence isn’t strong enough to support raising the bar from 140 to 150 for everyone older than 60.

New blood pressure guidelines might free some from taking powerful meds with strong side effects.

Wright, who was also a member of the 2003 panel, supports sticking with those recommendations to treat blood pressure that is above 140/90.

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Does Normal Blood Pressure Change With Age

Just as our blood pressure readings change according to our posture, sleep time, and stress levels throughout the day, our blood pressure changes as we age. Despite the fluctuating or changing measurements, we should maintain a normal range. As we age, we can expect changes in our cardiovascular health, including our blood pressure and cholesterol levels. There are several factors that reflect our blood pressure levels over the years, including normal blood pressure for seniors.

What Is Normal Blood Pressure

For years we have been told that a normal blood pressure reading is 120/80 however, more and more doctors have now lowered these numbers to 115/75. Blood pressure is different for everyone as many factors can have an effect on the numbers.

Our blood pressure refers to the amount of force behind the blood as it hits the arterial walls. As the heart pumps the blood, an ideal pressure sees the blood push against the walls that are flexible enough to expand and retract easily. Over time, our age, diet, and physical activity play a role on the elasticity of our blood vessels. With a loss of flexibility due to hardening of the walls, the heart needs to work harder to push the blood.

These factors determine the blood pressure numbers. The systolic number is the top number, and it indicates the pressure as the heart beats or pushes the blood throughout the body. The diastolic number is the bottom number, and refers to the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats. During this time, the heart receives oxygen as it fills with blood.

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Data Source And Methods

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 19992016 were used for these analyses. Data from the most recent 2-year survey cycle, NHANES 20152016, were used to test differences between demographic subgroups. The precision and ability to detect differences in hypertension prevalence and control when a true difference does exist are lower with 2 years of data than when these estimates are based on 4 years of data, due to the smaller sample sizes. In testing for trends in hypertension prevalence and control, nine 2-year cycles were used.

NHANES is a cross-sectional survey designed to monitor the health and nutritional status of the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population using highly stratified, multistage probability designs . The survey consists of interviews conducted in participants homes and standardized health examinations conducted in mobile examination centers . Blood pressure was measured in the MEC by trained physicians using standard protocol on a total sample of 5,504 nonpregnant persons aged 18 and over.

During 20152016, non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic Asian, and Hispanic persons, among other groups, were oversampled to obtain reliable estimates for these population subgroups. Specific race and Hispanic-origin estimates reflect persons reporting only one race those reporting more than one race are included in the total but not reported separately.

A Woman’s Risk Of High Blood Pressure Increases After Menopause

Menopause, which begins once a woman goes 12 consecutive months without experiencing a period, usually around her 50s, is related to high blood pressure.

“During aging and menopause, there are several changes in the body related to hormone levels and body weight,” warns Dr. Patel. “These changes may increase a woman’s risk of high blood pressure.”

Menopause and its symptoms also might be another reason high blood pressure sometimes goes undiagnosed in women. Symptoms of the two, such as fatigue and headaches, can overlap.

“A woman may delay scheduling a checkup with her doctor about symptoms because they seem related to menopause,” Dr. Patel adds. “In this way, high blood pressure can go undiagnosed which is yet another reason why regularly monitoring your blood pressure is so important.”

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What Does A Blood Pressure Reading Of 112/60 Mean

Readings where the systolic pressure is normal but diastolic pressure is between 50 and 60 indicate low blood pressure or what is called Hypotension. This is because the worse reading is used when systolic and diastolic pressure fall into different ranges.

What this means is the blood pressure in your arteries is lower than what is considered normal.

However, theres usually no need to be concerned about low blood pressure unless youre experiencing dizziness, fainting, nausea or fatigue. Hypotension may not even be diagnosed unless youre experiencing these symptoms.

Blood Pressure Guidelines For Seniors

The guidelines above are for the general population, but older adults health needs and benchmarks differ from those of younger individuals in many ways because our bodies function less efficiently with age. While 130/80 mmHg is the generic threshold for starting BP medications, there have been many disagreements among medical professionals regarding the threshold for older adults. Age, frailty and other comorbidities like diabetes and chronic kidney disease complicate this matter even further.

The Eighth Joint National Committee issued new blood pressure guidelines for seniors in 2014 recommending that individuals over age 60 aim for a reading below 150/90 mmHg. The JNC 8 recommendation for patients of any age with diabetes or chronic kidney disease is to aim for BP readings below 140/90 mmHg. These are not hard and fast rules, though, because each seniors health needs are unique.

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Average Ranges Show Normal Pressure On The Arteries

• Frequently Asked Questions

Blood pressure measures the force pressed against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood through your body.

Average blood pressure differs by sex and tends to rise with age. It’s important to know how blood pressure affects your health.

This article covers how healthcare providers differentiate between “normal” blood pressure and hypertension and includes blood pressure charts by age and gender. It will also discuss the health risks involved with hypertension, how you can monitor your blood pressure, and when you should call your healthcare provider.

Average Blood Pressure By Age

As you get older, your blood vessels tend to become stiffer and plaque can build up in them, which can raise your blood pressure. If your blood pressure becomes too high, you’re at a greater risk for heart disease, strokes, and more.

In 2015, the average blood pressure worldwide was 127/79 mm Hg in men, and 122/77 mm Hg in women, according to a study analysis published in Lancet.

When researchers for the National Center for Health Statistics looked at average blood pressure in U.S. adults between 2001 and 2008, the average reading was 122/71 mm Hg. The breakout was 124/72 mm Hg for men, and 121/70 mm Hg in women. It rose by age and was significantly higher in Black people.

The researchers found the following breakdown by age, sex, and race or ethnicity:

Blood Pressure by Age

As the population ages and life expectancy increases, high blood pressure is becoming more common.

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Were Differences Seen In The Prevalence Of Hypertension Among Adults By Race And Hispanic Origin During 20152016

For all adults, the prevalence of hypertension among non-Hispanic black adults was higher than among non-Hispanic white , non-Hispanic Asian , and Hispanic adults .

In men, the prevalence of hypertension was higher among non-Hispanic black adults than among non-Hispanic white , non-Hispanic Asian , and Hispanic adults.

In women, the prevalence of hypertension was higher among non-Hispanic black adults than among non-Hispanic white , non-Hispanic Asian , and Hispanic adults. Hispanic women had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension than non-Hispanic Asian women.

No significant differences were observed between men and women within race and Hispanic-origin groups.

Figure 2. Age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension among adults aged 18 and over, by sex and race and Hispanic origin: United States, 20152016

1Significant difference from non-Hispanic Asian.2Significant difference from non-Hispanic white.3Significant difference from Hispanic.NOTES: All estimates are age adjusted by the direct method to the 2000 U.S. Census population using age groups 1839, 4059, and 60 and over. Access data table for Figure 2pdf icon.SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 20152016.

High Blood Pressure Symptoms

High blood pressure is known as the silent killer because it typically has no symptoms. In fact, most people dont even realize they have hypertension until their blood pressure is monitored.

Symptoms dont develop until the numbers get very high and organs get damaged, often irreversibly, says Dr. Desai.

If you have severe hypertension, you might notice the below symptoms, some of which were reported by patients in a study in the British Journal of General PracticeGoodhart A. Hypertension from the patients perspective. British Journal of General Practice. 2016 66:570. :

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For People Over 60 Intensive Blood Pressure Lowering May Prevent More Heart Problems Than Standard Therapy

Current guidelines from the nations leading heart organizations say adults should aim for a blood pressure reading under 130/80 millimeters of mercury . However, some doctors believe that target might be too aggressive for older people, who may be more prone to side effects from blood pressure drugs, such as dizziness and falls.

Now, a new study confirms the effectiveness of intensive blood pressure reduction in people over 60. “Not only is a lower target safe, its also associated with better outcomes in older people,” says Dr. Umberto Campia, a cardiologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Womens Hospital.

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Normal Blood Pressure Ranges For Older People

While its true that blood pressure tends to rise as people age, there is no doubt that maintaining lower values is very beneficial. There are two numbers that measure blood pressure systolic and diastolic.

SYSTOLIC:

Measures how much pressure the heart is producing when contracting and pushing out blood.

DIASTOLIC:

Represents the amount of pressure present when the heart is filling with blood in a relaxed state.

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Normal Blood Pressure By Age Race And Gender

Previously, guidance for normal blood pressure for adults varied by gender and specific age, but new data states normal blood pressure for adults as a collective is less than 120/80 mmHgHigh Blood Pressure Symptoms and Causes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed 7/16/2021. .

When it comes to race and ethnicity, Dr. Desai says certain groups have a higher rate of hypertension. Non-Hispanic Black people have a significantly higher rate of hypertension compared to non-Hispanic white people, and Hispanics and non-Hispanic Asians have lower rates than the first two, he says.

The reason for this variance can range from substandard insurance coverage and poor access to healthcare to gaps in the use of medications to treat multiple conditions with reduced compliance in certain groups, he adds.

As for gender, theres increasing evidence for risk of cardiovascular disease in women with blood pressures lower than what is considered normal, says Jennifer Wong, M.D., medical director of non-invasive cardiology at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.

What Did The Sprint Intervention Involve

SPRINT participants were randomly assigned to be treated to a systolic BP goal of either 140, or 120.

Participants were seen once a month for the first three months, and then every 3 months after that.

To treat blood pressure, SPRINT provided all the major classes of BP medication for free, and also allowed clinicians to use other BP medications if they saw fit. Here are the main classes of medication used Ive organized them roughly by how commonly they were used .

Blood Pressure Medications Used in SPRINT:

• Direct vasodilators, e.g. hydralazine, minoxidil
• Alpha-two agonists, e.g. clonidine

Those last three classes of BP medication were used in 10% of people or less, which makes sense as none of them are recommended as first-line medication choices for hypertension, heart conditions, or kidney disease.

What about non-drug methods to manage high blood pressure?

In the scholarly publication, the SPRINT investigators say that Lifestyle modification was encouraged as part of the management strategy, but they dont provide more specifics on what modifications were encouraged or how. So its hard to know how any non-drug methods diet, exercise, salt reduction, stress reduction might have factored into this study.

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