Blood pressure is an indication of the health of the heart. Diastolic blood pressure is the force of blood moving through the body in between heartbeats when the heart is at rest. Diastolic blood pressure also represents the pressure in the blood vessels in the body's organs. Consistent diastolic pressures over 90 mm Hg, millimeters of mercury, cause serious risk of heart attack and stroke, and notes the eMEDTV website.
Excess Body Fat
Healthy diastolic pressure ranges between 60 and 79 mm Hg. This means that the pressure in the blood vessels while the heart is relaxing is enough to allow blood to flow but not so much that it stretches the vessels or organs. Excess body fat increases the pressure on blood vessels by forcing the arterial walls to push against this added tissue to keep the walls of the arteries, veins and capillaries open for blood flow. Additionally, fat in the form of cholesterol builds inside the vessel walls, narrowing the passageway for blood. Now, the blood must pump harder in a narrow space to reach all the organs and tissues of the body. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that obese adults double their risk of high blood pressure. The higher the diastolic blood pressure, the greater the risk for heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure, states The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Lack of Exercise
A sedentary lifestyle with low cardiovascular exercise can increase blood pressure. Causes of high diastolic blood pressure include narrowing arteries and the heart beating too fast and too hard. Lack of exercise increases waste and carbon dioxide build-up in the blood, forcing resting pressure to remain elevated to clean the blood. Lack of exercise also increases stress that increases blood pressure, describes The American Heart Association. A sedentary lifestyle also often increases abdominal weight and skinfolds, which the American Heart Association warns, is an indicator of high blood pressure that leads to heart attacks and strokes.
Heredity, Race and Increasing Age
Some causes of high diastolic blood pressure are beyond a patient's control, such as heredity, race and increasing age. According to the American Heart Association, people with family members with high blood pressure are prone to hypertension. They also note that African Americans are prone to severe high blood pressure early in their lives. Blood pressure increases in people older than 35 with men at greater risk of developing the disease than women, until age 45, notes The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. After age 55, women are more likely to develop high blood pressure than men are, reports the American Heart Association.
