Blood pressure is one of the most common health measurements, yet many people are unsure what the two numbers actually mean.
The first, or systolic pressure, measures the force of blood against the artery walls when the heart beats.
The second, called diastolic pressure, measures the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats. Together, these numbers provide an important picture of heart health.
A large study led by Dr. Michael Hecht Olsen at the University of Southern Denmark suggests that both numbers deserve attention.
The research, published in the journal Hypertension, followed more than 107,000 adults aged 19 to 97 for 26 years. None of the participants had heart disease when the study began.
During the study, some participants developed heart disease, suffered heart attacks or strokes, or died from heart-related causes. The researchers compared these outcomes with blood pressure measurements taken at the start of the study.
They found that systolic blood pressure remained the strongest predictor of future heart problems in almost every age group.
This supports current medical practice, which often places greater importance on the top number because it has been closely linked to heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, and early death.
However, the researchers also discovered that the lower number, diastolic pressure, should not be ignored. Among adults younger than 50, diastolic pressure provided valuable extra information about future heart disease risk. In other words, younger people with higher diastolic pressure may already be showing early warning signs, even if their systolic pressure is not very high.
The team also examined mean arterial pressure, or MAP, which combines both blood pressure numbers into a single measurement that reflects the average pressure in the arteries throughout one heartbeat. MAP also proved to be a strong predictor of future cardiovascular disease.
High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” because it usually causes no obvious symptoms until serious damage has already occurred. Over time, it can injure blood vessels and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and vision problems.
The findings remind doctors and patients that looking at both blood pressure numbers gives a more complete picture of heart health. Healthy eating, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting salt, avoiding smoking, and following medical advice remain some of the best ways to keep blood pressure under control.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about how diets could help lower high blood pressure, and 3 grams of omega-3s a day keep high blood pressure at bay.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how tea and coffee influence your risk of high blood pressure, and results showing this olive oil could reduce blood pressure in healthy people.
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