Blood Pressure: How High Is High?

Blood Pressure:
   How High Is High?

Your blood pressure category is determined by the higher number
   of either your systolic or your diastolic measurement. For example,
   if your systolic number is 115 but your diastolic number is 85, your
   category is prehypertension.

                                             Systolic                             Diastolic
   Normal blood pressure        Less than 120     and    Less than 80

   Prehypertension                  120–139           or         80–89

   High blood pressure          140 or higher     or     90 or higher




Blood Pressure
But you can take action to control high blood pressure, and thereby
avoid many life-threatening disorders.

Your health care provider should check your blood pressure on
several different days before deciding whether it is too high. Blood
pressure is considered high when it stays at or above 140/90 over a
period of time. However, if you have diabetes, it is important to
keep your blood pressure below 130/80.

For those with heart disease, it is especially important to control
blood pressure to reduce the risks of stroke and heart attack. Even
if you don’t have high blood pressure, it is important to avoid
developing prehypertension, a condition that increases your risk
for high blood pressure.

Be aware, too, that a high systolic blood pressure level (first number)
     is dangerous. If your systolic blood pressure is 140 or higher (or
     130 or higher if you have diabetes), you are more likely to develop
     heart disease complications and other problems even if your
     diastolic blood pressure (second number) is in the normal range.
     High systolic blood pressure is high blood pressure. If you have this
     condition, you will need to take steps to control it. High blood
     pressure can be controlled in two ways: by changing your lifestyle
     and by taking medication.

     Changing your lifestyle. If your blood pressure is not too high, you
     may be able to control it entirely by losing weight if you are over-
     weight, getting regular physical activity, limiting the salt in your
     food, cutting down on alcohol, and changing your eating habits.
     A special eating plan called DASH can help to lower blood pressure.
     DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The
     DASH eating plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole-grain foods,
     and low-fat dairy products. It is rich in magnesium, potassium, cal-
     cium, protein, and fiber, but low in saturated fat, trans fat, total fat,
     and cholesterol. (Trans fat is a harmful type of dietary fat that
     forms when vegetable oil is hardened.) The diet also limits red meat,
     sweets, and sugar-containing beverages.

                                           If you follow the DASH eating
                                             plan and also consume less
                                              sodium, you are likely to
                                              reduce your blood pressure
                                              even more . Sodium is a sub-
                                             stance that affects blood pres-
                                            sure. It is the main ingredient
                                                in salt and is found in many
                                                          processed foods,
                                                              such as soups,
                                                             convenience
                                                            meals, some
                                                            breads and cere-
                                                            als, and salted
                                                              snacks. For
                                                               more on the
                                                                DASH eating