What should your diastolic number be

Not only is quitting smoking beneficial for your overall health, but it can also help lower your blood pressure. Although more research may be needed, some studies show that supplements such as garlic can help lower blood pressure. Ried K. Garlic lowers blood pressure in hypertensive individuals, regulates serum cholesterol, and stimulates immunity: An updated meta-analysis and review.

Probiotics are bacteria that are beneficial to your digestion. A review article suggests that taking probiotics may work to lower blood pressure. Upadrasta A, et al. Probiotics and blood pressure: Current insights. S However, more studies are needed to gain a better understanding of how exactly probiotics affect blood pressure.

A study indicated that traditional Chinese acupuncture helped lower blood pressure. However, this effect went away after acupuncture treatment stopped.

Flachskampf FA, et al. Randomized trial of acupuncture to lower blood pressure. Monitoring your blood pressure at home not only helps you know if your treatment is working, but it can also alert you if your hypertension is worsening.

Your doctor may prescribe medication to help lower your blood pressure. Common blood pressure medications include:. Blood pressure readings measure the force that blood exerts on the walls of your arteries. There are two numbers generated when your blood pressure is measured. The first number is your systolic blood pressure. The second number is your diastolic blood pressure. A lot of attention has been given over the years to systolic blood pressure, which steadily increases as you age, as the more important of the two numbers.

People with high diastolic blood pressure may be more at risk for developing high systolic blood pressure as well. Graves J. Lowering elevated diastolic pressure will lessen chance of developing elevated systolic blood pressure. Diastolic blood pressure measures the pressure on the walls of your arteries between heartbeats. A normal diastolic blood pressure is less than 80 mmHg. Systolic blood pressure measures the pressure on the walls of your arteries when your heart beats.

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However, you should maintain a healthy lifestyle and healthy weight to help prevent hypertension from developing. Regular exercise and healthy eating can also help. You may need to be even more mindful of your lifestyle if hypertension runs in your family. When your systolic pressure is between and mm Hg and your diastolic pressure is less than 80 mm Hg, it means you have elevated blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure has a good chance of turning into actual high blood pressure, which puts you at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

No medications are necessary for elevated blood pressure. But this is when you should adopt healthier lifestyle choices. A balanced diet and regular exercise can help lower your blood pressure to a healthy range and help prevent elevated blood pressure from developing into full-fledged hypertension. This is considered stage 1 hypertension. However, the AHA notes that if you get only one reading this high, you may not truly have high blood pressure.

What determines the diagnosis of hypertension at any stage is the average of your numbers over a period of time. The treatment for adults 65 and older who have significant health problems should be made on a case-by-case basis.

Treating high blood pressure in older adults appears to decrease memory problems and dementia. Stage 2 high blood pressure indicates an even more serious condition. At this stage, your doctor will recommend one or more medications for keeping your blood pressure under control.

Lifestyle habits are just as important in stage 2 as they are in the other stages. Some medications that can complement a healthy lifestyle include:. You should seek emergency treatment if you have blood pressure in this range, which may accompany symptoms such as:.

However, sometimes a high reading can occur temporarily and then your numbers will return to normal. If your blood pressure measures at this level, your doctor will likely take a second reading after a few minutes have passed. Even if you have healthy numbers, you should take preventive measures to keep your blood pressure in the normal range.

This can help you lower your risk of developing hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. What do blood pressure numbers mean? What are normal blood pressure numbers? What is high blood pressure hypertension? What are the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure? What causes high blood pressure? What problems does high blood pressure cause?

What can I do to prevent or manage high blood pressure? Close You can manage your blood pressure to lower your risk for serious health problems that may affect your heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.

Learn about conditions related to high blood pressure. Measure Your Blood Pressure. Prevent and Manage Your Blood Pressure. J Am Coll Cardiol. Top of Page. Get Email Updates. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address.

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