Blood pressure is the force required to send blood through the arterial system to feed the body oxygen and nutrients. The top number is called the systolic pressure and the bottom number is called the diastolic pressure. The systolic number represents the pressure in the arteries when the heart is contracting or beating. The diastolic pressure measures the pressure that is still in the arteries when the heart muscle is resting between beats. Your systolic pressure reading will always be higher than the diastolic number.
Importance
Typically your doctor pays more attention to the systolic pressure reading because researchers have found that it is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease in people who are over age 50. According to the American Heart Association, most of the time your systolic pressure will continue to rise with age and as the arterial system gets stiff. This indication of arterial stiffness results from a long-term buildup of plaque that is associated with cardiac and vascular disease. However, doctors are aware of the predictive value that high diastolic blood pressure readings have on the future health of your arterial system.
Age
According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, diastolic pressure readings are very important in people who are younger than age 50. This number will represent the risk for heart attack, stroke and kidney failure at an early age because it is the pressure in the arteries which the heart must pump against to push blood through the system.
The diastolic pressure reading measures the pressure in the arterial system when the heart is at rest. This means that it is the pressure the heart must overcome to send blood through the system. As you age, the diastolic number will slowly begin to lower and the systolic pressure will rise in response. This rise in systolic pressure will also increase your risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.
Implications
According to Merck Manual Online Medical Library, high blood pressure causes an increased risk for heart attack, peripheral artery disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms and kidney failure. If you are younger and have diastolic high blood pressure, this increases the risk that you will continue to experience high blood pressure over the age of 50 and will increase your risk of developing these physical conditions.
Symptoms
According to Merck Manual Online Medical Library, there are no symptoms of high diastolic blood pressure. There are coincidental occurrences of symptoms such as nosebleeds, flushed face, headache and fatigue, but according to physicians, these symptoms occur with the same frequency in people who have blood pressure measurements within normal limits. Because there are no true symptoms of high diastolic blood pressure and because this condition causes more negative health problems in younger individuals, have your blood pressure screened at least once a year. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, the sooner you begin treatment for high diastolic blood pressure, the greater the chance that you will reduce the negative health effects you can experience.
