You’ve probably had your blood pressure checked and heard about the two numbers: the top number (systolic) and the bottom number (diastolic).
For years, doctors mainly focused on the systolic number when looking at heart health. But a new, massive study suggests that both numbers are equally important.
The systolic pressure measures how hard your heart is working when it pumps blood. It’s the top number in a blood pressure reading. The diastolic pressure is the lower number and shows the pressure in your arteries when your heart is resting between beats.
In the past, most doctors paid more attention to high systolic pressure as a warning sign for heart disease and stroke. This made some think the diastolic number didn’t matter as much. But new research has turned that idea on its head.
A healthcare group called Kaiser Permanente studied over 36 million blood pressure readings from 1.3 million adults in Northern California, collected between 2007 and 2016.
They found that both the systolic and diastolic numbers can predict your risk for heart problems and stroke. While the systolic number still had a slightly bigger effect, the diastolic number also played a major role.
This was true whether they used the old blood pressure standard of 140/90 mm Hg or the newer guideline of 130/80 mm Hg. In both cases, having either number too high increased the risk of health issues.
So what does this mean for you? It means both numbers matter when it comes to your heart. Lower blood pressure is generally better, especially if you’re at risk for heart disease or stroke. This study also supports new medical guidelines that suggest tighter control of blood pressure, especially for those at higher risk.
The research was led by Alexander C. Flint and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It reminds us that as science advances, so does our understanding of how to stay healthy.
So next time you get your blood pressure checked, don’t just focus on one number. Ask your doctor about both the systolic and diastolic readings, and what you can do to keep them in a healthy range.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies that widely used blood pressure drug may increase eye disease risk and common blood pressure drugs linked to cognitive decline.
For more about blood pressure, please read studies about why checking blood pressure while lying down is very important and lowering top blood pressure number to less than 120 mm Hg effectively prevents heart disease.
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