Blood pressure is a vital indicator of the he alth of the cardiovascular system, which can be used to judge the state of the body as a whole. Deviations from the physiological norm signal significant he alth problems. What is the opinion of doctors about the limits of blood pressure indicators?
How is BP formed?
The blood in the vessels has a mechanical effect on their walls. Purely technically, there is always pressure in the arteries and veins. But when measuring it with a tonometer, other points are also important.
When the heart muscle contracts, blood is ejected from the ventricles into the vessels. This impulse creates the so-called "upper", or systolic pressure. Then the blood is distributed through the vessels, and the minimum level of their filling, at which the heart beat is heard in the phonendoscope, gives the “lower”, or diastolic indicator. This is how the result is formed - a figure that reflects the state of the body at a givenmoment.
Normal indicators - what should they be?
In the medical environment, there is debate about what indicators to focus on in measuring pressure. Blood pressure norms in adults were repeatedly compiled. The table shows what numbers cardiologists and therapists used in the USSR period.
The systolic pressure was calculated using the formula:
- 109 + (0.5 x age) + (0.1 x weight), and the diastolic level is like this:
- 63 + (0.1 x age) + (0.15 x weight).
The lower limit of normal systolic pressure was considered to be 110 mm Hg. Art., top - 140 mm. All indicators that were outside these limits were taken as pathology. Similarly, the lower limit of diastolic pressure was taken equal to 60 mm Hg. Art., top - 90 mm. Collecting these numbers together, we get a range of norm indicators from 110/60 to 140/90. Many old-school therapists and cardiologists are still guided by this in their medical practice.
Modern views on blood pressure indicators
A little later, based on numerous studies, other norms for blood pressure in adults were derived. The table used in our time was compiled by WHO in 1999. Based on it, the boundaries of the norm for systolic pressure are in the range from 110 to 130 mm Hg. Art., diastolic - 65-80 mm. These figures apply primarily to patients under 40.
OnToday, there is no consensus among doctors as to which indicators are considered normal and which are pathologies. During the examination, they are guided by what pressure is normal, “comfortable” for a particular patient, and record this information from his own words. In the future, in the diagnosis and treatment proceed from this indicator. Numbers below 110/60 and above 140/90 will still be considered signs of pathological changes.
Working pressure - what is it?
This expression can be heard in everyday life. The concept of “working” pressure refers to such indicators at which a person feels comfortable, despite the fact that one of them or both - systolic and diastolic - are significantly increased or decreased. In general, this attitude towards oneself reflects only a desire to ignore the existing problem.
Cardiologists have no concept of a patient's "working" pressure. Values above 140/90 in middle-aged individuals are classified as hypertension. The justification may be that with age, accumulations of cholesterol are deposited on the walls of blood vessels, narrowing their lumen. There is no clinically serious deterioration, but the risk of developing pathology increases significantly.
Opinions of foreign scientists
In the countries of the post-Soviet space, on the one hand, and in America and Canada, on the other, different approaches have been adopted to determine the norm of blood pressure in adults. The table shows how the patient's condition is classified depending on its indicators.
Arterialpressure at the level of 130/90 can be considered prehypertension, that is, a condition bordering on pathology. The level of systolic indicators of 110-125 mm Hg, and diastolic - less than 80, is called in the West a "state of rest of the heart." In our country, the pressure of 130/90 will be considered the norm for physically developed men who are actively involved in sports, or people over 40.
In Western Europe, the approach to the state of the cardiovascular system is similar, but in the scientific literature you can find some data similar to post-Soviet norms. There is a peculiar look at the norms of blood pressure in adults: the table contains terms that are unusual for us - “low normal”, “normal” and “high normal”. The standard is 120/80.
Age changes
The older a person becomes, the more serious changes undergo his blood vessels and heart muscle. Stress, malnutrition, hereditary predisposition - all this affects the state of he alth. People with a diagnosed pathology are recommended to measure their blood pressure daily. It is better if the indicators are recorded in a special table. You can also enter data there after measuring the pulse.
With age, the normal blood pressure in adults gradually changes. The table and the pulse together provide objective information about changes in the state of the vessels. If the numbers at some point exceeded the patient's usual norm, this is not a reason for panic - an increase of 10 mmrt. Art. considered acceptable after physical exertion, in a state of fatigue, after a long day at work. But a stable deviation for a long time is a sign of a developing pathology.
Should blood pressure increase with age?
Due to vascular changes that occur due to a decrease in arterial tone and cholesterol deposits on the walls, as well as changes in myocardial function, the age norm of blood pressure in adults is corrected (table).
Women aged 40 have an average of 127/80, while men are slightly higher at 129/81. This is due to the fact that the representatives of the stronger sex, as a rule, withstand greater physical exertion, and their body weight is greater than that of women, which contributes to increased pressure.
Changes in indicators after 50 years
BP is also affected by the levels of various hormones, especially steroids. Their content in the blood is unstable, and over the years, during the restructuring of the body, an increasing imbalance begins to be observed. This affects the heart rate and the filling of blood vessels. The average norm of blood pressure in women aged 50 shifts upward and becomes equal to 137/84, and in men of the same age - 135/83. These are the numbers above which indicators at rest should not rise.
Due to what other factors increase the rate of blood pressure in adults? Table (in women after 50 years, the risk of developing hypertension is higher, because in thisage, hormonal changes begin to affect, the so-called menopause), of course, cannot indicate all of them. The stresses they endured for the body are also important - pregnancy and childbirth (if they were). The statistical probability of developing arterial hypertension in a woman over 50 years of age is higher than in a man of the same age category due to the difference in the aging process.
Indicators after 60
The trend established in previous years is maintained in the future. The rate of blood pressure in adults continues to increase (table). In women after 60 years, the average value is 144/85, in men - 142/85. The weaker sex is somewhat ahead in terms of growth rates (due to the same hormonal changes).
After 60 years, normal blood pressure is physiologically higher than the standard 140/90, but this is not the basis for the diagnosis of "arterial hypertension". Practitioners are largely guided by the he alth status of older patients and their complaints. In addition to measuring blood pressure, a cardiogram is used to monitor the state of the cardiovascular system, on which pathologies are much more pronounced than in pressure indicators.
Comorbidities
In addition to age, a systematic increase in pressure provokes metabolic disorders, kidney disease, bad habits, etc. Smoking provokes narrowing of small vessels, which in the long term causes a decrease in the lumen of large arteries and, asconsequence, hypertension. When the kidney function is impaired, the hormone aldosterone is produced, which also leads to an increase in blood pressure. The risk of hypertension is in diabetics, whose vessels are particularly prone to deposits on the inner walls. Timely detection and prevention of major diseases will keep the pressure normal and lead an active life.
Causes of hypotension
In addition to the increase, many people at a young and older age have a decrease in pressure relative to the norm. If this is a stable indicator, then there is practically no reason for concern. Physiologically low blood pressure may be in miniature girls or in young people with asthenic complexion. This does not affect performance.
If a decrease in pressure occurs suddenly and leads to a deterioration in the condition, then this may indicate heart failure, vegetative-vascular dystonia, rhythm disturbances, and even internal bleeding. With such symptoms, it is urgent to undergo a full examination.
How to keep track of performance?
It is best to have your own blood pressure monitor at home and master the technique of measuring blood pressure. This is a simple procedure and anyone can learn it. The data obtained should be entered in a diary or table. There you can also briefly make notes about your well-being, pulse rate, physical activity.
Often arterial hypertension does not manifest itself by external signs untilnothing will provoke a crisis - a sharp increase in blood pressure. This condition has many life-threatening consequences, such as a hemorrhagic stroke or heart attack. It is advisable to make it a habit after 40-45 years to regularly measure pressure. This will help to significantly reduce the risk of developing hypertension.
