Facts on High Blood Pressure - 2
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Individuals with diastolic blood pressure under 70 mm Hg coupled with an elevated systolic blood pressure, 140 mm Hg or higher, may have a greater risk of heart attack and stroke than indicated by the systolic blood pressure values alone, according to a UC Irvine study and the Framingham Heart Study reviewed blood pressure data from 9,657 participants in the Framingham Heart Study who had not received antihypertensive treatment and found that the combination of low diastolic and high systolic numbers to be a superior predictor of future adverse cardiovascular events. Let's repeat:
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High blood pressure for adults is defined as a systolic pressure of 140 mmHg or higher, or a diastolic pressure of 90 mmHg or higher.
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Normal blood pressure is a systolic blood pressure less than 120 and a diastolic blood pressure less than 80.
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Pre-hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure of 120–139 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure of 80–89 mmHg. Persons with pre-hypertension are at increased risk to progress to hypertension.
Among people with high blood pressure, 31.6% don't even know they have it.
Systolic blood pressure as a single blood pressure component is usually superior to diastolic blood pressure in predicting cardiovascular risk in middle-aged and older individuals," Franklin said. "But a very high or very low diastolic blood pressure can add to the risks identified by systolic blood pressure alone." Currently, physicians diagnose hypertension with systolic and diastolic readings of 140/90 and above. This study suggests that doctors should give even greater consideration to systolic blood pressure when the diastolic blood pressure is low.Franklin said, however, that a diastolic number under 70 mm Hg when combined with a systolic blood pressure less that 120 mm Hg indicates normal values with no increased cardiovascular risk; the low diastolic blood pressure must be coupled with an elevated systolic reading to indicate increased risk. This combination of blood pressure components is an indicator of increased stiffening.
An impressive body of evidence strongly supports the concept that multiple dietary factors influence blood pressure and that modification of diet can have powerful, beneficial effects on this highly prevalent, yet modifiable, cardiovascular risk factor.
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