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For blood pressure patients who wonder what those numbers mean when getting BPs, here is an explanation. Two figures are observed when taking blood pressures (e.g. 140/90). 140 stands for systolic pressure, 90 is the diastolic pressure. A normal systolic pressure should not exceed 140, and a normal diastolic pressure is no more than 90. An increase in both pressures can mean disaster.

Systolic hypertension is different from diastolic high blood pressure. The former is characterized by sudden augmentation in the pressure of blood when the heart is contracting.

Diastolic high blood pressure on the other hand refers to the blood pressure in between muscle contractions. Doctors and medical experts have stated that diastolic high blood pressure should be taken seriously and that it causes more harm to the body than systolic does. In recent studies, persons below 65 or 70 who are diagnosed with hypertension reported increase incidents of diastolic high blood pressure. This higher rate of diastolic pressure causes adverse effects on the brain, heart and kidney. Patients of diastolic high blood pressure are advised to lower diastolic pressure by maintaining below 90. Systolic pressure is also required to be lowered though a top priority is focused on diastolic pressure.

Causes of diastolic high blood pressure include aging of the heart and its natural effects. When a person grows old his heart muscles get weary and eventually stiffen making it harder for the heart to fill in blood appropriately. Diastolic high blood pressure, if not treated well, may lead to diastolic heart failure. Diagnosis of diastolic high blood pressure may risk the patient of diseases and illnesses like CAD or coronary heart disease, aortic stenosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and other pericardial diseases.

Aside from aging, poor lifestyle like smoking and drinking, high cholesterol levels, obesity, high salt consumption, prior cardiac surgery, viral infection, family history and diabetes are also leading contributors to the occurrence of diastolic high blood pressure.

For the last 30 years, studies have also been conducted and challenged the severity of diastolic high blood pressure. In the latest issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, reports have declared that there is a great urge to control systolic pressure than diastolic pressure in hypertension patients. Elaborately, diastolic high blood pressure exposes little risk of getting other cardiovascular disorders.

In special cases of hypertension, systolic hypertension is more common than diastolic high blood pressure among elder patients. Their blood vessels have degraded resulting in the increase in systolic pressure. Advise is given to patients with these condition to lower their systolic pressure and keep it.

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