High Diastolic Blood Pressure

Question: I have been asked to monitor my blood pressure as it is a bit high. Monitoring the blood pressure is easy. However, I don’t understand the significance of the two readings. I found out that they represent what is called as systolic and diastolic pressures. What does it mean? Why is it so important to check if the systolic and diastolic numbers are high? What are they?

Answer: Systolic and diastolic are the numbers used to record blood pressure. The heart pumps blood to the body through arteries, veins and capillaries. The force used to move the blood is blood pressure. The systolic number measures pressure when blood is pushed through the arteries by the heart. On the other hand, the diastolic number measures pressure when the heart is at rest. A sphygmomanometer measures blood pressure. Blood pressure is recorded with the systolic number on top and the diastolic number at the bottom. A normal blood pressure reading is 120/80 mm Hg. It is not necessary for a person to have high diastolic blood pressure in order to be diagnosed with hypertension. The term used for a high systolic reading and a normal diastolic reading is “isolated systolic hypertension” (ISH). This is common, especially with age. The same is applicable for a high diastolic reading. A high diastolic reading is indicative of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.

Understanding High Blood Pressure

Many individuals are not informed on what is considered high blood pressure and the repercussions of high blood pressure. High blood pressure, if it is not detected and treated, can be fatal and extremely detrimental to a number of other organs such as the kidneys. High blood pressure causes many complications. For instance, untreated high blood pressure causes atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis leads to heart attack and stroke, as these brittle artery walls are more susceptible to rapture risk. In addition, high blood pressure causes kidney failure, eye damage and aneurysms.

Many individuals do not know what is considered high blood pressure. Most do not realize they are at risk of high systolic and high diastolic blood pressure even after a pressure reading. Normal blood pressure is 120/80 to 130/80. As blood pressure fluctuates during the day, an individual needs to record a pressure reading for 24 hours to detect high blood pressure. However, a systolic reading of 139 and a diastolic reading of 89 signifies pre-hypertension. A person has high blood pressure when a systolic reading of 140 or higher and a diastolic reading of 90 and above is detected.

Causes of High Blood Pressure

Almost 95% of the time, the cause of high blood pressure is unknown. When the cause is unknown, it is referred to as primary or essential hypertension. When the underlying cause of high blood pressure is known it is referred to as secondary hypertension. Secondary hypertension causes are chronic kidney diseases, arterial diseases preventing blood supply to the kidneys, hormonal imbalances, alcohol abuse, certain medications and endocrine tumours. However, these are not the only reasons for hypertension. There are several lifestyle factors that contribute to the risk of high blood pressure. These are obesity, lack of exercise and diet.

Avoiding Hypertension with the Diet

One of the most common factors for high blood pressure is the diet. A proper diet makes a significant difference in the management of high blood pressure. For example, salt is a key contributor to high blood pressure. Therefore, those diagnosed with high blood pressure must avoid or reduce their intake of salt in the diet. Consuming less salt even without hypertension helps prevent hypertension in the future. Avoiding foods high in saturated fats is essential to prevent hypertension. Saturated fats deposit in the arteries in the form of plaque. This causes narrowing of the arteries which requires more work from the heart to pump the necessary blood throughout the body. The harder the heart works the higher the blood pressure. A balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables and fibre prevents the risk of hypertension.

There are no symptoms for hypertension. Therefore, individuals who presume they may be at risk of developing high blood pressure must have their pressure checked at least once or twice a year. There is no difference between the dangers of a high systolic or a high diastolic blood pressure reading. Both tend to be high at the same time when a person is experiencing hypertension and if untreated this can be fatal.