Normal blood pressure

Answer 1

Normal blood pressure has been traditionally been 120/80 and in the past it was described as "textbook". And as long as your AVERAGE (not all readings) stay 140/90 or less it is still OK. Lately, as with cholesterol, they have been lowering the numbers believing that it will result in greater health, but the evidence is abysmally lacking (and I often wonder if it's not to get more of the populace on expensive medications that are ineffective where none is needed).

The old school of thought is still correct where the LOWER number is more important. This is because the upper number, the systolic, can vary easily with work, stress, or fright more than the lower (the diastolic). Some people get "whitecoat" hypertension in which a reading at the doctor's office is always higher. Before considering drugs which may make you pass out from low blood pressure and have a severe, fatal car accident, it may be wise to have ambulatory monitoring for a day to see if you truly have hypertension.

Answer 2

Age is not necessarily a determinant factor in Blood Pressure. The factors that do effect B.P. are Stress, Weight, Diet, Genetics, and Disease. However, as we age we tend to gain weight, perhaps eat a less healthy diet, contract diseases, and suffer from stress. So in THAT sense you may say age is a factor. But it is really the individual factors and not age itself that contribute to Hypertension (high B.P.).

Answer 3

There is a correlation between advancing age and increased blood pressure, postulated to be due to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) which curtails distensibility of the blood vessels.

Answer 4

Blood pressure is the force your arteries, veins and heart have to emit to move the blood around in your body. As people age, their arteries become restricted with blockage or buildup giving the blood less space to move through. This leads to your body having to work harder to pump the blood around.

Answer 5

less than 120/80 for an adult and it is usually lower in children

Answer 6

140/90 is a high normal. 90/60 is a low normal. And optimal is considered to be 120/80.

Answer 7

one hundred 140