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Diastolic Blood Pressure


Diastolic Blood Pressure

The diastolic blood pressure refers to the pressure that is exerted on the walls of the various arteries in between your heartbeats when your heart is relaxed in your body. Statistics suggest that high diastolic readings can be directly linked to heart disease, strokes and even early death.

About Diastolic Blood Pressure

Blood pressure readings are represented as one figure over another. The bottom value in the reading is the diastolic pressure reading and the upper value is the systolic pressure reading. For example, a blood pressure reading would be written as 139/90, with 139 being the systolic measurement, and 90 being the diastolic measurement. Both readings in the example above would be indicative of a higher than normal blood pressure level.

When the diastolic blood pressure readings are above 80, a person is said to be either pre-hypertensive or hypertensive. Pre-hypertensive individuals will have a diastolic blood pressure reading of between 80 and 89 mmHg. The moment that diastolic blood pressure levels reach 90 mmHg it is an indication that the patient concerned is suffering from hypertension (high blood pressure).

The diastolic readings may also be used to determine exactly which type of hypertension a person may be suffering from. A diastolic blood pressure reading above 120 mmHg is a clear indication that a person is at serious risk of having a stroke or a heart attack. This type of hypertension is termed accelerated malignant hypertension and it requires urgent medical attention.

Benign hypertension on the other hand is used to describe the condition where the diastolic blood pressure levels are 90 mmHg or higher, but they do not elevate any further when measured over an extended period. Labile hypertension refers to the condition where the diastolic blood pressure levels constantly fluctuate between 80 and 100 mmHg. Just like the malignant hypertension, the other two forms of hypertension also require immediate medical attention.

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