What
is Diastolic Hypertension
Defining diastolic hypertension
Diastolic blood pressure is the blood pressure number on the bottom of
the fraction that represents your total blood pressure
number.
In
other words, in a blood pressure of 120/80, the diastolic blood
pressure is the number represented by "80".
What does
the diastolic blood pressure measurement mean?
While the
systolic
(upper number in the fraction) pressure
represents the pressure on your arteries as your heart contracts and
pushes blood poured into your arteries, the diastolic pressure is the
pressure that is present in
your arteries after
the contraction has
happened and the heart has relaxed.
In other words,
with every beat of your heart, you have one number that represents
pressure in your arteries during the contraction (systolic) and one
number that represents the pressure on your arteries after the
contraction (diastolic).
Why is the
diastolic blood pressure measurement important?
When you measure blood pressure, both your systolic
and diastolic blood pressure measurements are
important. Hypertension is one of the most common diseases in the
United States, and it is also often a "silent" disease, meaning that
there are no symptoms with it. However, it can cause severe damage,
including damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, etc.
In fact, about every major organ and system in the body, including the
arteries themselves.
Previously, it was thought that having diastolic hypertension (a high
diastolic pressure) was a much greater concern than having a high
systolic pressure. However, recent studies now suggest that at least
for people 50 and older, high systolic pressures are of greater concern
than are high diastolic pressures. Nonetheless, diastolic hypertension
may
still be of greater concern to people under the age
of 50.
Measuring
the diastolic blood pressure
Both the diastolic and systolic blood pressure numbers are usually
taken during a blood pressure measurement. For best results, when the
doctor or nurse takes your blood pressure, try not to be nervous; this
can artificially raise blood pressure. Sit comfortably and relax as
much as you can. You can also lie down if you wish.
To take your blood pressure, the nurse or doctor will wrap a blood
pressure cuff around your upper arm, just above your elbow. This cuff
will fit snugly; the cuff itself is inflatable, and it will be
tightened while the doctor places a stethoscope on the crook of your
arm and watches a mercury column with numbers. Then, he or she begins
to slowly deflate the cuff while listening through the stethoscope to
your pulse.
The systolic pressure is the number at which the doctor first hears
your pulse
as he or she is letting the air out of the cuff; the
diastolic pressure is the number at which the doctor first hears your
pulse "disappear" when he or she is listening. These two numbers give
your full blood pressure reading.
You can also measure your own blood pressure at
home with automatic blood pressure gauges; these gauges do not require
the ability to listen through a stethoscope or watch a mercury column.
Instead, they are completely automatic.
A healthy diastolic pressure is generally
considered to be 80 or below
for most people. A healthy blood pressure is important to maintain good
cardiovascular health, and to maintain the health of organs that can
experience damage from prolonged high blood pressure.
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