Normal blood pressure is considered to be 120 systolic and 80 diastolic. If your diastolic is between 80 and 100 you are pre-hypertensive. If it is over 100 you have hypertension and will probably be placed on drugs.
If you have a high diastolic reading you probably have a high systolic reading as well. It really doesn’t matter though because high diastolic pressure carries the same life threatening conditions as systolic.
High diastolic blood pressure is more common in young adults, teens and even children. It’s been suggested that birth weight may have a direct connection to this condition.
Now, the catch with high diastolic blood pressure is that only one of these numbers needs to be high for you to have high blood pressure. If they’re both high, well, that’s generally a little more concerning. But a high diastolic blood pressure can be particularly concerning for younger people. Research has shown that it’s an important risk indicator for heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, and other serious conditions.
For those people above the age of 55, the diastolic pressure will naturally begin to decrease, while the systolic blood pressure usually begins to rise and become more important.
If you have a high diastolic blood pressure, you will need to take steps to bring your blood pressure back down to a normal level, to reduce your risk of other health issues in the future. These steps can include lifestyle changes, such as following a healthy diet, getting daily exercise and kicking the smoking habit. In some cases medication will also be required to lower high diastolic blood pressure as well. It is important to note that medication will not actually â€ocureâ€? high blood pressure, but merely control it as long as you are taking the medication. For this reason, most patients who begin taking medication for high blood pressure will be on it for life.
