Hypertension is a ‘silent killer’. Here you can read what your blood pressure should be at every age

On November 26, 2024By Pranco

Can you remember a doctor’s appointment where your blood pressure was not measured? Probably not. It is an essential sign – along with heart rate, breathing and body temperature – that indicates how well your body is functioning. But unless you’ve already been diagnosed with high blood pressure or another medical condition that requires you to monitor it at home, chances are you don’t measure your own blood pressure often.

“Most people only get it checked when they go to the doctor,” Dr. Joseph Ebingerdirector of the coronary intensive care unit of the Smidt Hart Institute bee Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, says Fortune. “Individuals, if they have their own history of high blood pressure readings, or a strong family history of high blood pressure, or, finally, cardiovascular risk factors – things like diabetes or peripheral arterial disease – I would recommend that they have a blood test. pressure cuff at home.”

While your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute, your blood pressure measures the force with which your blood circulates and loads your artery walls. If you have high blood pressure, also called hypertension, your heart has to work harder than normal to pump blood through your body. Over time, hypertension can lead to serious medical problems, including: myocardial infarction, heart attackAnd kidney failure.

Despite the dangers of hypertension, the lack of symptoms means people may not know they have the condition until the damage is done. That’s why high blood pressure is a ‘silent killer’. According to the American newspaper, half of adults in the US have hypertension National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)but only two-thirds of them know it.

“It’s the No. 1 most common cardiovascular risk factor in the country,” says Ebinger. “Finding ways to control it is very important to minimize your risk, and it can happen early in life.

“We know that individuals at increased risk of developing (hypertension) later in life tend to have higher than normal blood pressure by mid-life – even in their 30s – and therefore regular screening and monitoring is of your blood pressure is crucial. ”

You’ve probably heard your doctor say that your blood pressure is about “120 over 80,” usually a larger number than a smaller number. Together the two are measured in millimeters of mercury, written as 120/80 mm Hg. Dr. Gregory Katza cardiologist NYU Langone Healthexplains the difference.

“Blood pressure is the pressure your blood vessels experience throughout your life, and it will differ when your heart contracts and when your heart relaxes,” says Katz. Fortune. “That first blood pressure number is called the systolic number. That’s the pressure in your arteries when your heart is pumping blood into them, and the bottom number is called the diastolic pressure, which is the pressure in your arteries when your heart is relaxed.”

Katz adds, “The overall pressure, which will be an average of both the systolic and diastolic pressures, will be adjusted based on the fact that your heart relaxes more often than it contracts. It’s called the mean arterial pressure (MAP).”

The American Heart Association (AHA) takes into account a systolic pressure lower than 120 And a diastolic pressure lower than 80 is normal for adults. Hypertension yes classified into stages of severity; stage 1 has a systolic value of 130 to 139 or a diastolic reading of 80 to 89. A systolic reading above 180 and/or a diastolic reading above 120 constitutes a hypertensive crisis need urgent medical care.

Hypertensive emergencies aside, remember that your blood pressure changes practically from minute to minute, says Katz, so don’t let any abnormal reading alarm you.

“Any form of physical activity increases your blood pressure. When you exercise, your blood pressure is expected to rise normally when you exert yourself,” says Katz Fortune. “Changing the position you are in, from sitting to standing, will change your blood pressure; being stressed will change your blood pressure; rushing will change your blood pressure. There are a million different things that will affect what your blood pressure is.

However, if your blood pressure is regularly high when you are calm and relaxed, ask your doctor to be tested for hypertension.

Check out this interactive chart on Fortune.com

According to the Cleveland Clinicyou are at risk for high blood pressure if you:

Alcohol consumption is also a risk factor, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency advises women and men to drink no more than one or two drinks per day, respectively.

Children and teenagers can also have high blood pressure. As in adults, blood pressure below 120/80 is normal for teenagers. For people 12 years and younger, a value below the 90th percentile of their peers is ideal, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. A pediatrician can determine whether your child has hypertension or is at risk of developing it.

As of 2017, the AHA no longer defines hypertension differently for adults under age 65 who are 65 years and older. (Previously, the threshold for hypertension was 140/90 for younger adults and 150/80 for older adults.) Still, most people experience an increase in blood pressure as they age, Katz says.

“I think a lot of that has to do with the arteries getting stiffer, just like everything else gets stiffer as we get older,” says Katz. “The way our arteries will have different levels of stiffness versus elasticity will partly be a reflection of what our lifestyle looks like and how much physical activity we do.”

Katz adds, “I generally tell patients, ‘Probably yes needs more physical activity as you get older to prevent your blood pressure from rising.’ And unfortunately, most people exercise less as they get older.”

The American Heart Association considers a systolic blood pressure less than 120 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure less than 80 mm Hg as — Woman checking her blood pressure.

Depending on your medical history and the severity of your high blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe this for you medication to help lower your blood pressure. But your behavior can also help you keep your high blood pressure under control.

“There are big lifestyle factors that can be done; diet and exercise are key,” says Ebinger. “Regularly do cardiovascular exercises, at least 150 minutes per week. And from a nutritional perspective: minimizing alcohol intake and especially avoiding salt, which increases blood pressure.”

In addition, the NHLBI recommends:

You don’t have to have stage 2 hypertension or be on the brink of a hypertensive crisis for high blood pressure to negatively impact your health, explains Dr. Luke Laffinco-director of Cleveland Clinic Center for Blood Pressure Disorders.

“Most people have no idea that their blood pressure is elevated or uncontrolled; they have no symptoms,” says Laffin Fortune via email. “However, we know that even a small chronic increase in blood pressure increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney disease.”

Keeping track of your blood pressure may be more useful than you think. Relatively inexpensive monitors are widely available, and some smartwatches and fitness trackers have blood pressure monitoring capabilities. However, the AHA warns against wrist and finger monitors, which they say are not as reliable as traditional biceps cuff monitors. Visit ValidateBP.org to see if your device has been validated by the American Medical Association.

“If someone doesn’t have a blood pressure monitor at home, they should get their blood pressure checked when they go to the doctor and, if it’s elevated, talk about how they can check it at home too,” Laffin says.

Follow these AHA steps To get the most accurate blood pressure reading at home:

Plan ahead. Don’t smoke, drink caffeinated drinks, or exercise within 30 minutes before taking your blood pressure. Empty your bladder.
Don’t measure the size over clothing. Remove the clothing over the arm that will be used to measure blood pressure.
You can use both arms. Usually there is not a big difference between the measurements on it.
Be quiet. Allow at least five minutes of quiet rest before taking measurements. Don’t talk or use the phone.
Sit correctly. Sit with your back straight and supported (on a dining room chair, rather than on a couch). Your feet should be flat on the ground. Don’t cross your legs. Support your arm on a flat surface. The center of the cuff should be placed on the upper arm at heart level. Check your monitor’s instructions for an illustration or have your healthcare provider explain how to do this.
Measure at the same time every day. Take the measurements at the same time every day. Talk to your healthcare provider about how often you should measure your blood pressure.
Take multiple measurements and record the results. Each time you measure, take two measurements one minute apart. Record the results using a printable (PDF) tracker. If your monitor has built-in memory to store your measurements, take it with you to your medical appointments. Some monitors also allow you to upload your readings to a secure website.

For more information about heart health:

This story originally ran Fortune.com