Blood pressure is a measure of how hard the heart has to work against arterial resistance to pump blood to the body. Normal blood pressure does not vary widely over time, but differences develop as a person ages. Systolic is the top number and diastolic is the bottom number in the equation.
Childhood
Normal systolic blood pressure in children ranges from 95 to 118 mmHg while the diastolic ranges from 53 to 67 mmHg. It is unusual but not impossible for children to have high blood pressure.
20s to 40s
When people are in their 20s, 30s and 40s, normal blood pressure readings are 120 to 125 mmHg systolic and 79 to 83 mmHg diastolic. This is the period when poor choices in diet and exercise can begin to harden the arteries and edge a person toward pre-hypertension.
40s to 60s
Normal BP in people between 40 and 60 is a systolic in the range of 125 to 134 mmHg and a diastolic in the range of 79 to 83 mmHg. Many people in this span begin to see the effects of their lifestyle choices. High blood pressure is diagnosed when readings are over 140/90 mmHg.
