What Is A Normal Blood Pressure For A Man

About High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is usually defined as having a sustained blood pressure of 140/90mmHg or above.

The line between normal and raised blood pressure is not fixed and depends on your individual circumstances. However, most doctors agree that the ideal blood pressure for a physically healthy person is around 120/80mmHg.

A normal blood pressure reading is classed as less than 130/80mmHg.

How To Combat High Blood Pressure For Seniors

Always check with your doctor for their expertise to aid you in a clear path to improved health. They may recommend a medication to get your blood pressure under control. In addition to consulting your doctor, the following tips may also help your circulatory systems health.

• Eat a heart-healthy diet that includes fish with omega-vitamins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
• Incorporate stress-management techniques into your daily routine. Yoga, Tai Chi, and daily stretches can moderate your stress and also help you improve balance.
• Get a good nights sleep. Not only will some shut-eye help your blood pressure, but it will also boost your brain function.
• Get up and get moving. Physical exercise can help your heart health and enhance your spirits as well.

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Drink Alcohol In Moderation

Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol will increase your blood pressure and raise the cholesterol levels in your blood.

Sticking to the recommended amounts of alcohol consumption is the best way to reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure.

The recommended daily limits of alcohol consumption are:

• 3 to 4 units of alcohol for men
• 2 to 3 units of alcohol for women.

A unit of alcohol is equal to about half a pint of normal-strength lager, a small glass of wine or a pub measure or spirits.

More about drinking alcohol reponsibly

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Stroke And Brain Problems

High blood pressure can cause the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain to burst or be blocked, causing a stroke. Brain cells die during a stroke because they do not get enough oxygen. Stroke can cause serious disabilities in speech, movement, and other basic activities. A stroke can also kill you.

Having high blood pressure, especially in midlife, is linked to having poorer cognitive function and dementia later in life. Learn more about the link between high blood pressure and dementia from the National Institutes of Healths Mind Your Risks®external icon campaign.

How Is It Treated

For most people, the goal is to reduce the blood pressure to less than 140/90. If you have diabetes or kidney disease, the goal is less than 130/80 mm Hg.

If your blood pressure is above normal , you may be able to bring it down to a normal level without medicine. Weight loss, changes in your diet, and exercise may be the only treatment you need. If you also have diabetes, you may need additional treatment.

If these lifestyle changes do not lower your blood pressure enough, your healthcare provider may prescribe medicine. Some of the types of medicines that can help are diuretics, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and vasodilators. These medicines work in different ways. Many people need to take 2 or more medicines to bring their blood pressure down to a healthy level.

When you start taking medicine, it is important to:

• Take the medicine regularly, exactly as prescribed.
• Tell your healthcare provider about any side effects right away.
• Have regular follow-up visits with your healthcare provider.

It may not be possible to know at first which drug or mix of drugs will work best for you. It may take several weeks or months to find the best treatment for you.

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What Does Blood Pressure Tell You

Blood pressure measures the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries, or blood vessels. Your heart pumps blood into your arteries. And the arteries carry that blood to the rest of your body.

The top number of your blood pressure reading tells you the force of the blood against artery walls when your heart beats. It is called systolic pressure. The bottom number tells you what your blood pressure is when your heart is at rest between heartbeats. It is called diastolic pressure.

What Your Blood Pressure Numbers Mean

Blood pressure is the force that blood applies to the walls of arteries as it’s pumped throughout the body.

“Your arteries are built to withstand some pressure, but there’s a limit to what they can handle,” says Dr. Nasir.

This is why blood pressure is measured and segmented based on how it affects our health. The four blood pressure categories are:

• Normal blood pressure: Lower than 120/80 mmHg
• Elevated blood pressure: Between 120-129/80 mmHg
• High blood pressure, stage 1: Between 130-139/80-90 mmHg
• High blood pressure, stage 2: 140/90 mmHg or higher

Only normal blood pressure is considered healthy. Having elevated or high blood pressure damages your heart and arteries by:

• Forcing your heart to pump harder. Over time, this causes heart muscle to thicken, making it harder for the heart to fill with and pump blood.
• Narrowing and hardening your arteries. This can limit the normal flow of blood.

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Normal Blood Pressure For Men

Men are recommended to have an average normal blood pressure of 120/80 however, as we have noted, there are varying factors to consider when determining what works for each person. What is normal for a man in his 30s is not deemed a normal reading for a man in his 60s.

The following are the average blood pressures and the corresponding lows and highs for men from ages 15 to 64 years.

Age

What Can I Do To Prevent Or Manage High Blood Pressure

Many people with high blood pressure can lower their blood pressure into a healthy range or keep their numbers in a healthy range by making lifestyle changes. Talk with your health care team about

• Getting at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week
• Not smoking
• Managing stress

Learn more about ways to manage and prevent high blood pressure.

In addition to making positive lifestyle changes, some people with high blood pressure need to take medicine to manage their blood pressure. Learn more about medicines for high blood pressure.

Talk with your health care team right away if you think you have high blood pressure or if youve been told you have high blood pressure but do not have it under control.

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What The Researchers Found

Treatment targets should always be determined after discussion between the person and their doctor about the potential benefits and harms of lowering blood pressure.

Adults 60 years of age or older with systolic blood pressure of 150 mm Hg or more should be treated with a goal of reducing systolic blood pressure to less than 150 mm Hg.

Adults 60 years of age or older who have had a stroke or transient ischemic attack should be treated with a goal of reducing their systolic blood pressure to less than 140 mm Hg.

Adults 60 years of age or older who are at high risk for cardiovascular events should be treated with a goal of reducing their systolic blood pressure to less than 140 mm Hg, but this decision should be made on an individual basis.

High Blood Pressure In Adults

Healthy blood pressure in adults is a reading below 120 systolic and 80 diastolic. Blood pressure between 120 to 129 systolic and under 80 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.

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The Blood Pressure Chart

Once you know your numbers, you can use the blood pressure chart to see what they mean and if your blood pressure is in the healthy range. The chart is suitable for adults of any age, as the cut-off point for diagnosing high blood pressure doesnt change with age.

How to use the blood pressure chart

Simply find your top number on the left side of the chart and your bottom number on the bottom. Where the two lines meet is your blood pressure.

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Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure

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. :

• Headaches

• Rapid heart rate

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Diagnosing High Blood Pressure

The only way to find out whether you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked regularly. Ask your GP when you are next due for yours to be checked.

Before having your blood pressure taken, you should rest for at least five minutes and empty your bladder. To get an accurate blood pressure reading, you should be sitting down and not talking when the reading is taken.

Having one high blood pressure reading does not necessarily mean that you have high blood pressure. Your blood pressure can change throughout the day. Feeling anxious or stressed when you visit your GP can raise your blood pressure .

Therefore, your GP will need to take several readings over a set period of time, usually every month, to see whether your blood pressure level is consistently high.

Blood and urine tests may also be carried out in order to check for conditions that are known to cause an increase in blood pressure, such as kidney infections.

You may also be given a blood pressure device to take home so that you can record your blood pressure level throughout the day. This also helps to identify white coat syndrome and therefore helps to identify the best treatment options for you.

Maintain A Healthy Weight

Being overweight is a risk factor for having high blood pressure, and your risk increases further if you are obese.

There are two ways to check if you are overweight:

• Body Mass Index – This is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in metres squared. In the UK, people with a BMI of between 25 to 30 are overweight, and those with an index above 30 are classed as obese. People with a BMI of 40 or more are morbidly obese.
• Waist size – Using a measuring tape place the tape round your waist between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hip bone. The table below indicates how much your health might be at risk, your ethnicity should also be taken into account.

Sex
	Over 80 cm

The best way to tackle obesity is by reducing the amount of calories that you eat, and taking regular exercise. Your GP can provide you with further information and advice on how you can do this.

More about having a healthy weight

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Choosing A Blood Pressure Monitor

If you’re planning to take your blood pressure at home, it’s important to have a reliable blood pressure monitor. The AHA recommends an automatic, cuff-style, bicep monitor, but there are other options.

When selecting a blood pressure monitor, consider the following:

• Fit: To ensure a proper fit, measure around your upper arm and choose a monitor that comes with the correct size cuff.
• Number of people: If more than one person will be using the monitor, make sure to choose one that fits everyone.
• Features: Some blood pressure monitors offer extra tech features, like Bluetooth and app connectivity. If you don’t think you’ll benefit from these extras, go ahead and choose one that is efficient, easy to use, and more affordable.
• Budget: High-quality blood pressure monitors vary dramatically in price, from around $25 to well over $100. Keep in mind that a good monitor is a great investment and that you will be using it daily for several years.
• Other considerations: The AHA notes that when selecting a blood pressure monitor for a senior, pregnant person, or child, you should make sure it is validated for these conditions.

If you need help selecting an at-home device, check out these blood pressure monitors, which were vetted by the Verywell team based on the above criteria.

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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Salt Intake And High Blood Pressure

Reducing the amount of salt you eat can also help to manage or even avoid high blood pressure. To help reduce your salt intake:

• Ensure your diet consists of wholefoods including vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, lean meat and poultry, fish and seafood, legumes, unsalted nuts and seeds.
• Avoid packaged and processed foods that are high in salt. You cant see the salt in these foods, so you dont know how much salt you are having. Get into the habit of checking food labels.
• Choose low-salt food where possible. If you cant find low-salt products, those with moderate amounts of salt are ok too. Another simple alternative is to look for labels with low salt, salt reduced or no added salt.
• Avoid adding salt to cooking or at the table flavour meals with herbs and spices instead.

Signs And Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure may not have any symptoms and so hypertension has been labeled “the silent killer.” Longstanding high blood pressure can lead to multiple complications including heart attack, kidney disease, or stroke.

Some people experience symptoms with their high blood pressure. These symptoms include:

• Headache
• The Feeling of pulsations in the neck or head
• Nausea

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High Blood Pressure Categories

You can divide high blood pressure into five categories, according to guidelines from the American College of Cardiology:

• Normal: Normal blood pressure in adults is any blood pressure below 120/80.
• Elevated: In adults, elevated blood pressure is a systolic reading of 120-129 and a diastolic reading below 80.
• Hypertension stage I: This stage includes blood pressures ranges of 130-139 or 80-89 .
• Hypertension stage II: This stage includes blood pressures ranges above 140 or above 90 .
• Hypertensive crisis: Severely elevated blood pressure is defined as greater than 180 and/or 120 and associated with new or worsening organ damage.

What Do Blood Pressure Numbers Mean

Your blood pressure reading comes with two numbers. The first number refers to your systolic blood pressure. The second number refers to your diastolic blood pressure.

“Systolic” refers to “contraction” in Latin. Your systolic blood pressure is the highest blood pressure exerted when your heart beats , and puts pressure on blood vessels. “Diastolic” is related to the Latin word for “dilate.” Your diastolic blood pressure is the lowest blood pressure put on your blood vessels, with your heart at rest between beats, when it dilates . Systolic and diastolic blood pressures are usually easy to record with measurements done with a blood pressure cuff. Blood pressure measurements are recorded as systolic pressure/diastolic pressure in mm Hg for example, 120/80 mm Hg.

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Lifestyles Changes Are Crucial

Depending on your own fit status, your doctor may prescribe certain medicines for hypertension to eliminate the risk of complications due to uncontrolled high blood pressure.

Along with these prescribed medicines, the following are some common guidelines on how to make you systolic and diastolic pressures stay on the recommended safely levels.

Doing moderate exercise regularly! We all agree that we will lots of health benefits from regular exercises. One of these benefits is to improve the blood flow in your body. Regular exercise can help lower LDL and reduce the pressure against the artery walls. For more ideas with exercise to lower your systolic and diastolic pressures, visit this section!

Try DASH diet DASH itself stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. In general, this kind of diet recommends eating more whole foods, high in fiber, getting plenty of dietary potassium and vitamin D, low in salt, and low in saturated fats. Here is a complete guide for foods that your should eat and avoid to lower cholesterol and prevent hypertension.

Stress management. Although the effect of stress in increasing your systolic and diastolic pressures is temporary. But it can cause a rapid increase in your blood pressure. Overall, having more episodes of stress can be very bad for your cardiovascular system. Stress may be inevitable condition, but you can control and manage it!

Weight control. More pounds of fats you gain, more likely you have hypertension.

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