About Diastolic Blood Pressure Numbers

Blood pressure is the amount of force needed to push blood through the body. A blood pressure reading has two numbers, systolic and diastolic, and is represented in a by a fraction with the systolic as the higher number and the diastolic as the lower number.

How is Blood Pressure Measured?

In the doctor's office, blood pressure is measured with blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. The cuff wraps around the upper arm, just above the elbow, and is tightened until blood flow stops. Then the air is slowly released to allow the blood flow. The systolic number is the pressure the cuff registers when the blood first starts flowing. The diastolic number is point where the cuff no longer registers pressure. The stethoscope is used to listen to the "Lubb-Dupp" sound of the blood flowing through the vessels.

What is Normal Blood Pressure?

Normal blood pressure is between 110 and 120 systolic and 70 and 80 diastolic. In general, a reading of 140 over 90 is considered borderline with anything higher considered full-blown hypertension.

What is Diastolic Pressure?

The diastolic number represents the pressure in the vessels when the heart relaxes. When the heart relaxes, blood is under less pressure, which is why this number is lower than the systolic pressure.

What Does a High Diastolic Number Mean?

When looking at blood pressure, most people pay attention to the systolic number, and most cases of hypertension involve high readings of the upper number. But a high diastolic number, with or without a high systolic number, can also indicate hypertension.

Complications of a High Diastolic Number

Diastolic pressure reflects the speed at which the blood returns to the heart. If the blood returns too quickly, the heart rate has to increase to keep up. This is different from the temporary increases caused by exercise or stress. A constant increase in heart rate can lead to heart attack, kidney disease and stroke.