When you get your blood pressure checked, you usually hear two numbers: for example, 120 over 80. The first number, called systolic pressure, measures how hard your heart pushes blood through your arteries each time it beats. The second number, diastolic pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart is resting between beats.
For years, doctors have used both numbers to assess your risk of heart disease. But more recently, many have focused more on the systolic number — the top one — when deciding how serious a person’s blood pressure might be.
Now, a new study from the University of Southern Denmark suggests it’s time to take another look at the bottom number, especially if you’re younger than 50.
Researchers analyzed the health data of more than 107,000 adults over a period of 26 years. At the start of the study, none of these people had heart disease. But over time, some experienced strokes, heart attacks, or died from heart-related problems.
The findings were clear: systolic pressure is still the strongest overall predictor of heart problems, no matter your age or sex. But for people under 50, diastolic pressure — the lower number — also provided important clues about heart risk. In other words, for younger adults, both numbers deserve attention.
The study also looked at something called mean arterial pressure (MAP). This number gives an average of the pressure in your arteries during a full heartbeat cycle and uses both systolic and diastolic numbers to calculate it. MAP turned out to be a useful measure for predicting heart risk across all ages.
Why does all this matter?
Because high blood pressure is incredibly common — and not just among older adults. According to the American Heart Association, nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure. It’s defined as having a systolic pressure of 130 or higher, or a diastolic pressure of 80 or higher. And surprisingly, more than 1 in 5 young adults (ages 18 to 39) also fall into this category.
Left untreated, high blood pressure can quietly damage your body over time, raising the risk of serious problems like heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. That’s why it’s so important to catch it early — and why this study’s message about paying attention to both numbers is so important.
Dr. Michael Hecht Olsen, the lead researcher on the study, and his team hope their findings will help improve how doctors assess and treat high blood pressure in the future. The study was published in the journal Hypertension, one of the top journals in heart health research.
As research continues, scientists are also exploring how diet and lifestyle choices — like drinking tea or coffee, and getting enough key nutrients — might affect blood pressure. They’re also working on better treatments for people who don’t respond well to current medications.
In the meantime, if you’re under 50 and have a higher diastolic number, don’t ignore it just because your systolic number looks okay. Both numbers matter — and checking your blood pressure regularly, staying active, eating well, and talking with your doctor can go a long way in protecting your heart for the long run.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about How to eat your way to healthy blood pressure and results showing that Modified traditional Chinese cuisine can lower blood pressure.
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