What is considered high blood pressure for a woman?
I have been on High Blood Pressure medication once per day for approximately 10 years and my blood pressure readings are in the 140/80 range with some spiking. I read that the ideal reading is 120/80 or lower on the American Heart Association website. I asked my doctor and the reply was that with my last reading of 142/78 in the office that was good for me, as it has often times been much higher. I asked the reason why the AHA wants a lower reading. I was told that it is because the prevailing thought is with over 30 years of a higher reading this will lead to Congestive Heart failure, however, if I wanted we could maybe try adding a second medication and see where that goes. I tried searching this site to find some thoughts on the ideal blood pressure for women, but only found information for men and children.
Hi JR,
The Joint National Committee defines four blood pressure categories.
Very High Range - Stage 2 Hypertension
Systolic (top) blood pressure 160 mm Hg or high
Diastolic (bottom) blood pressure 100 mm Hg or higher
If in this range you have hypertension (high blood pressure).
High Range - Stage 1 Hypertension
Systolic (top) blood pressure 140 - 159 mm Hg
Diastolic (bottom) blood pressure 90 - 99 mm Hg
If in this range you have hypertension (high blood pressure).
Caution Range - Prehypertension
Systolic (top) blood pressure 120 - 139 mm Hg
Diastolic (bottom) blood pressure 80 - 89 mm Hg
Take action!
Normal Range - Normal
Systolic (top) blood pressure below 120 mm Hg
Diastolic (bottom) blood pressure below 80 mm Hg
Perfect!
I recommend making diet and lifestyle changes to promote a lower blood pressure to increase the effectiveness of your medication.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
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Thank you for such a quick response! This is exactly the information I was looking for and will seek ways to make changes and visit your recommended website!