Whats The Normal Blood Pressure?

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What Is It?

Blood pressure has two components:

  • Systolic pressure, the higher number, represents the pressure the heart generates to pump blood to the rest of the body.

  • Diastolic pressure, the lower number, refers to the pressure in the blood vessels between heartbeats.

Usually, systolic pressure increases as we age. However, after age 60, diastolic pressure usually begins to decline because the body's blood vessels stiffen.

Blood pressure is measured in...

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Top 5 Myths about High Blood Pressure

Heartdiseasevector

Myth #1: Normal blood pressure is anything below 140/90 mmHg The most recent National Health, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines set systolic BP of less than 120mmHg and diastolic BP of less than 80mmHg (i.e. less than 120/80) as normal.  This...