What are the normal blood pressure levels by age? This is a question that you may ask if you are trying to interpret a blood pressure reading on a machine for yourself or your loved one. If you would like to learn more about this topic and about how you can interpret a blood pressure reading, allow us at SummerHouse Ashton Manor to show you the basics.
What Is Blood Pressure?
Before we begin to learn to glean useful information from blood pressure readings, it is important to first and foremost understand what the term “blood pressure” means.
The force that propels blood through arteries when the heart beats, giving nutrients and oxygen to bodily tissues and organs all over the body, is known as blood pressure. For your organs to function properly and avoid injury, you need a healthy blood pressure measurement.
Blood pressure levels might fluctuate depending on age, health, and other lifestyle variables. It is crucial to keep an eye on these figures because fast rises or dips in blood pressure – especially when it stays high or low for a lengthy period of time – can indicate poor health and lead to major health effects.
A do-it-yourself blood pressure monitoring machine is one way to simply keep track of your blood pressure. Despite the fact that many at-home monitors include features that make it simple to analyze your readings, it is critical to know what your blood pressure readings imply and which ones suggest a normal or abnormally high measurement.
Normal Range for Blood Pressure
A normal blood pressure level suggests that the blood vessels and heart are not pumping blood too forcefully and that the blood is not putting an excessive amount of force on the artery walls. According to recent statistics from the American Heart Association, the ideal normal blood pressure level for persons over 20 is less than 120/80 mmHg.
Blood pressure might fluctuate based on an individual’s ethnicity, race, gender, and age. However, it should remain within the normal range. While blood pressure readings of less than 120/80 are considered normal, the ideal blood pressure for therapy varies based on age and co-morbidities.
Previously, blood pressure guidelines for people varied by gender and age, but new research shows that a healthy blood pressure for adults across the board is less than 120/80 mmHg.
Normal
Normal blood pressure is defined as having a systolic pressure of 90 to 120 and a diastolic pressure of 60 to 80. Low blood pressure is defined as a systolic value of less than 90.
Elevated
A blood pressure measurement of less than 80 diastolic and 120 to 129 systolic indicates high blood pressure and, as a result, an increased risk of hypertension.
The burden on the arteries and heart increases as blood pressure rises. This causes the heart muscle to thicken, which can result in heart failure. It also causes micro-tearing of the arterial wall, which leads to cholesterol build-up. This causes the vessel to constrict and blood pressure to rise even higher.