Blood Pressure
Goal is to avoid excessive blood pressure. Your blood pressure should be below 140/90 mm Hg.
To accomplish this:
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Do not become obese.
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Exercise regularly (30,000 steps per week on average of moderate walking should be the bare minimum).
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Aim for highest quality sleep and duration of 7-9 hours per day. Avoid shift work.
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Treat your anxiety because chronic stress keeps the cardiovascular system in overdrive.
The body increasing blood pressure is a compensatory mechanism to make sure that enough blood gets where it is needed. If your blood pressure is too high, its root cause needs to be determined (e.g. calcified arteries, lack of nitric oxide, kidney disease). Just taking blood pressure medication without knowing and addressing the root cause may be counterproductive, i.e. blood pressure is artificially reduced which prevents blood to go where it is needed.
If you have to take medication, prefer ACE inhibitors over calcium channel blockers. The former may have lower effect on blood pressure reduction but seems to better reduce risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Reducing salt in your diet has almost no effect on blood pressure and causes more harm than good because the body needs enough salt to function properly (low sodium levels increase your risk of dying).
Mean arterial pressure (MAP)
MAP, the average pressure in your arteries throughout one cardiac cycle, can be used to assess blood flow through the body.
A MAP in the range of 70-100 mm Hg is considered normal. Anything under 60 mm Hg is considered low and should be cause for concern
Calculation: 1/3 systolic blood pressure + 2/3 diastolic blood pressure = MAP
Example: Systolic 115 mm Hg, diastolic 78 mm Hg results in 1/3 * 115 + 2/3 * 78 = 90 mm Hg.
Pulse pressure
Pulse pressure is the gap between your systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Pulse pressure in the range of 40-60 mm Hg is considered normal. A high pressure can increase your risk of heart disease. A low pressure can indicate decreased cardiac output which may point to heart failure.
Calculation: systolic blood pressure - diastolic blood pressure = pulse pressure
Example: Systolic 115 mm Hg, diastolic 78 mm Hg results in 115 - 78 = 37 mm Hg.
Further reading:
Disclaimer
Information on this page is for general information purposes only. You should not use it as a basis for making any business, legal, medical or any other decisions. Consult a professional for advice before making any decisions.