Healthy Range For Blood Pressure

Lowering Systolic Blood Pressure More May Cut Health Risks

One major study found that lowering systolic blood pressure to well below the commonly recommended level also greatly lowered the number of cardiovascular events and deaths among people at least 50 years old with high blood pressure.

When study participants achieved a systolic blood pressure target of 120 mmHg compared to the higher target of 140 mmHg recommended for most people, and 150 for people over 60 issues such as heart attack, stroke and heart failure were reduced by almost one-third, and the risk of death by almost one-fourth.

“That’s important information, because more lives may be saved and more deaths may be prevented if we maintain lower blood pressure in certain patients,” says Lynne Braun, NP, PhD, a nurse practitioner at the Rush Heart Center for Women.

Braun cautions, however, that your personal blood pressure target depends on a variety of things, including your current blood pressure, lifestyle, risk factors, other medications you are taking and your age. “Every person has to be evaluated as an individual,” she says. “Realistically, we can’t get everybody down to 120, and trying to do so may create unintended problems.”

It can be dangerous, for instance, to keep an older person on medications that have unsafe side effects, such as diuretics , which can cause dehydration and dizziness in older adults.

And there can be other issues involved with taking multiple medications, such as cost and compliance.

Will High Blood Pressure Effect My Chances Of Getting Pregnant

Women who improve their heart health before pregnancy can reduce their medical risks later. This proactive approach can lower the likelihood of pregnancy complications. If youre considering becoming pregnant, talk to your health care team about healthy changes you can make to help both you and your baby be healthier.

Doctors and researchers have found a link between birth control pills and an increase in blood pressure among some women. They say that it is more likely to occur in women who are overweight, have kidney disease or have a family history of high blood pressure.

Learn more about pregnancy and maternal health, including information on being healthy before, during and after a pregnancy.

Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisers. See our editorial policies and staff.

Last Reviewed: Jun 28, 2021

Diagnosing High Or Low Blood Pressure

Only one of your numbers needs to be higher than it should be to be diagnosed with high blood pressure, and only one needs to be lower than it should be to be diagnosed with low blood pressure.

So if your top number is over 140 or the bottom number is over 90, you may be diagnosed with , regardless of the other number. If your top number is under 90 or your bottom number is under 60, you may be diagnosed with . Use the to see where your numbers sit.

If your top number is consistently higher than 140mmHg, but the bottom number is healthy – this is known as Isolated Systolic Hypertension. If the bottom number is consistently higher than 90mmHg but the top number is healthy – this is known as Isolated Diastolic Hypertension.

Making sure your readings arent a one-off

A single high reading doesnt necessarily mean you have high blood pressure, as many things can affect your blood pressure throughout the day, such as the temperature, when you last ate, and if youre feeling stressed.

Your doctor or nurse will probably want to measure your blood pressure a number of times over a few weeks to make sure the reading wasnt just a one off and that your blood pressure stays high over time.

Read about how , getting a , the you might have if you have a high blood pressure reading, and .

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What Blood Pressure Numbers Mean

Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers, such as 120/80. The larger number is the pressure in the arteries as the heart pumps out blood during each beat. This is called the systolic blood pressure.The lower number is the pressure as the heart relaxes before the next beat. This is called the diastolic blood pressure. Both are measured in units called millimetres of mercury .

What Treatments Are Available For Patients With High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Without treatment, you can have a transient ischemic attack or stroke, heart attack, enlarged heart, heart failure, peripheral vascular disease , aneurysms, kidney disease, and broken blood vessels in your eyes. Treatment includes making changes recommended by your healthcare provider.

Diet and lifestyle changes:

• Reach and stay at your ideal body weight
• Get regular exercise
• Eat a well-balanced, heart-healthy diet that is low in salt, fat and cholesterol, and contains lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Your diet is an important part of blood pressure control. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension eating plan and limiting sodium help control blood pressure. Ask your doctor to refer you to a dietitian for a more personalized eating plan.
• Having no more than two alcoholic drinks per day and no more than one drink per day for women and lighter-weight men. One drink is considered to be 12 ounces of beer or wine cooler, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.
• Control stress and anger.
• Avoid all tobacco and nicotine products.
• Other lifestyle changes, such as controlling lipid levels and managing other health conditions, such as diabetes.

Medications and follow-up care:

Your doctor may ask you to record your blood pressure at home. Follow your doctors instructions for recording your blood pressure.

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Know Your Numbers: Blood Pressure

Topics in this Post

Knowing and understanding key heart numbers blood pressure, cholesterol and heart rate, along with your family history allow you and your health care team to determine your risk for developing heart and cardiovascular disease. Knowing your risk is critical to preventing heart disease and for taking steps to improve your overall heart health.

The Definition For What Is Considered High Blood Pressure Has Been Tightened Here’s What You Need To Know

If you didn’t have high blood pressure before, there’s a good chance you do now.

In 2017, new guidelines from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and nine other health organizations lowered the numbers for the diagnosis of hypertension to 130/80 millimeters of mercury and higher for all adults. The previous guidelines set the threshold at 140/90 mm Hg for people younger than age 65 and 150/80 mm Hg for those ages 65 and older.

This means 70% to 79% of men ages 55 and older are now classified as having hypertension. That includes many men whose blood pressure had previously been considered healthy. Why the change?

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Medicines For High Blood Pressure

are available to lower and manage high blood pressure. Your doctor may call them antihypertensives, .

Medicines for high blood pressure can include:

• Calcium channel blockers
• Thiazide diuretics.

These medicines help maintain a healthy blood pressure to improve the flow of oxygen and blood around the body. Some help the heart to pump more easily and efficiently.

Common Causes Of High Blood Pressure Spikes

Some people with high blood pressure will experience sharp rises in their blood pressure. These spikes, which typically last only a short period of time, are also known as sudden high blood pressure. These are some possible causes:

• Certain medications or combinations of medications
• Chronic kidney disease

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Whats Considered High Blood Pressure In Adults

Healthy blood pressure in adults is a reading of 120/80 mm Hg or below. But, what does it mean if your blood pressure numbers are higher than this?

A blood pressure of 120 to 129 mm Hg systolic and under 80 mm Hg diastolic is considered elevated. Elevated blood pressure means you have a greater risk of developing high blood pressure later on.

Your doctor may suggest eating less salt, eating a heart healthy diet, or living a more active lifestyle.

If your blood pressure reading falls into any of the following ranges, its important to talk with your doctor about medication or other lifestyle changes that may help keep your hypertension under control.

Whats Considered High Blood Pressure In Pregnant People

High blood pressure can also occur during pregnancy. According to the , about 8 percent of people develop some form of hypertension while pregnant.

• Normal blood pressure during pregnancy is less than 120 mm Hg systolic and less than 80 mm Hg diastolic.
• Readings higher than 140 mm Hg systolic or 90 mm Hg diastolic are considered high.

There are two main categories of high blood pressure in pregnancy:

• Chronic hypertension. This is when blood pressure is high before you become pregnant or when high blood pressure develops before 20 weeks of pregnancy.
• Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. These types of high blood pressure problems are specific to pregnant people and typically develop after 20 weeks of pregnancy. These blood pressure issues typically disappear after you give birth.

Your doctor may prescribe medications if you have high blood pressure during pregnancy.

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What Exactly Is Blood Pressure

“Blood pressure is the pressure that exists within our arteries and drives blood throughout our body,” said Dr. Del Conde Pozzi. At normal levels, your heart creates just enough blood pressure to pump blood to vital organs like your eyes and kidneys without damaging your arteries over time.

If your blood pressure is elevated , though, this hinders blood flow over time and can cause organ damage, hardening of your arteries, and plaque buildup within your arteries. These changes narrow and stiffen your arteries, increasing the risk of blood clots, heart disease, stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease, per the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention .

How Blood Pressure Is Measured

Blood pressure testing stations can be found in pharmacies, workplaces, and medical clinics. You can also buy a blood pressure monitor online or at your local pharmacy.

To measure blood pressure, a cuff attached to a monitor is placed on your arm. The cuff is then inflated with an air pump until its pressure stops blood flow from your brachial arterythe major artery found in your upper arm.

As the cuff deflates, the device measures the pressure when blood starts flowing again . Once the cuff is completely deflated, the device gauges the lowest pressure between beats .

Typically, more attention is given to the systolic pressure reading, as systolic blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease in people over the age of 50. Still, both readings are used to make a diagnosis.

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How To Lower Blood Pressure

If youâre over 70 and have been told that your blood pressure is too high, donât let the conditionâs lack of symptoms keep you from working to get it into a healthy range. Make it a point to:

Review all your medications with your doctor.âMany people will need medication to manage their blood pressure,â Andromalos says. But be sure to tell your doctor about all other prescriptions you may have and any over-the-counter medications that you take, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or decongestants because they can raise your blood pressure, Dr. Vaishnava says.

Move more. Regular, moderate exercise can help you lower your blood pressure, the Mayo Clinic states. Find an activity you enjoy so that youâll stick with it cycling, walking, swimming or dancing, for instance. Strength training and high intensity interval training also can help lower your blood pressure.

Lose weight. The higher your body mass, the harder your heart has to work to pump critical blood. Losing even a small amount of weight can help lower your blood pressure, the Mayo Clinic states.

What’s A Healthy Blood Pressure Range

A healthy blood pressure range is below 120/80 mm Hg and above 90/60 mm Hg, per the US National Library of Medicine . However, exactly what normal blood pressure should be gets a little more complicated on the lower end, as the tipping point for dangerously low blood pressure can vary from person to person.

It’s important to keep both your systolic and diastolic blood pressures in a normal range, Uyen Lam, MD, a cardiologist and director of the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Prevention Center at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, told Health. Often, the focus is on your systolic blood pressure because it’s a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. But with every increase by 20 mm Hg systolic or 10 mm Hg diastolic, your risk of death from heart disease or stroke doubles, according to the AHA.

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High Blood Pressure And Your Overall Risk

If your blood pressure remains high, it can lead to serious conditions like a heart attack, heart failure, stroke or kidney disease. Your risk will depend on any other modifiable or non-modifiable risk factors you might have.

Modifiable risk factors are factors that you can change. Non-modifiable risk factors are factors you cant change.

Heart attack and stroke risk factors that you can change include:

• depression, anxiety and social isolation.

Risk factors you cant change include:

• whether you were born male or female
• being post-menopausal
• having a premature family history of heart disease. This means that if one or more of your immediate family members has had a heart attack or stroke before the age of 65, its important to mention this to your doctor.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples and people from some ethnic backgrounds are also at increased risk.

What Do Blood Pressure Numbers 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.

If the measurement reads 120 systolic and 80 diastolic, you would say, 120 over 80, or write, 120/80 mmHg.

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Blood Pressure Chart With Readings By Age And Sex

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.

How Is Blood Pressure Tested

There are a variety of ways to test blood pressure. If you are testing in your home, it may be best to use an electric, automated upper arm band test. This is because it takes little training to use and will give fairly accurate results.

Other tests like wrist and finger measurements are subject to being slightly inaccurate. The way you hold or position your arm can complicate the reading and it is generally easier to use an upper arm band.

Sometimes you might feel nervous before getting your blood pressure tested which can increase it. It is best to rest for a few minutes before taking your pressure. Some doctors even recommend not paying attention to the result you get on the first day of testing your blood pressure because it might not be so accurate.

There is such a thing as the white coat effect. This happens when you see a doctor and, because he or she is an authoritative figure, your blood pressure goes up and is higher than it would normally be. To help avoid this, some doctors have the nurse take your blood pressure when you are relaxed.

Numbers taken from:

1) ESH-ESC Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension2) Self-Measurement of Blood Pressure at Home in the Management of Hypertension

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Normal Blood Pressure For Men And Women By Age

A normal blood pressure reading indicates that the heart and blood vessels are not working too hard pushing blood and that the blood is not exerting too much pressure on the walls of the vessels, says Aseem Desai, M.D., a cardiologist at Providence Mission Hospital in Southern California. Recent data from the American Heart Association suggests the optimal normal reading for adults over 20 is lower than 120/80 mmHgVirani S, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics 2021 update . American Heart Association Journal. 2021 143:e254-e743. .

Dr. Desai notes blood pressure can vary depending on a persons age, gender, race and ethnicity, but it should still fall within the general normal range. While numbers lower than 120/80 are generally considered normal, Dr. Desai adds, The target blood pressure for treatment varies depending on age and associated co-morbidities .

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.