What should my diastolic blood pressure be

Should I be concerned or is this normal? If you don't have other health issues that increase your risk of cardiovascular problems, the situation you describe — isolated diastolic hypertension — isn't dangerous now. But it's not normal, either. People with elevated diastolic blood pressure often develop elevated systolic blood pressure over time. You can help prevent that by taking steps to lower your diastolic blood pressure to a normal level. A blood pressure reading, given in millimeters of mercury mm Hg , has two numbers.

The first, or upper, number measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats systolic pressure. The second, or lower, number measures the pressure in the arteries between beats diastolic pressure. Research regarding diastolic blood pressure has evolved considerably over the last several decades. During the s and s, many researchers and physicians believed the diastolic reading was the more important of the two blood pressure measurements.

Now, we know they are both equally important. It then goes down, and then goes up again to reach the second peak sometime between 3pm to 5pm. The variance can be mm Hg within 24 hours for each person. Adult Symptoms Child Symptoms. Blood Pressure Chart By Age. A blood pressure monitor that shows systolic, diastolic reading and the pulse.

Blood Pressure Chart: Systolic BP and Diastolic BP This blood pressure chart by age can offer you a referrence when you need to find out what your own blood pressure means. Some people can have low diastolic pressure even when their systolic pressure is normal.

This condition is called isolated diastolic hypotension. Low diastolic blood pressure may be particularly dangerous for your heart. Unlike the rest of your body, which receives blood when your heart pumps, the muscles of your heart receive blood when your heart relaxes.

This can lead to weakening of you heart, a condition called diastolic heart failure. You may be at higher risk for this type of heart failure if you have coronary heart disease , which is narrowing of your heart arteries. Symptoms of isolated diastolic hypotension include tiredness, dizziness, and falls. Because low diastolic pressure decreases blood flow to your heart, you may also have chest pain angina or symptoms of heart failure. Heart failure symptoms may include shortness of breath, swelling of your feet or ankles, confusion, and heart palpitations.

Symptoms of low diastolic blood pressure along with low systolic blood pressure hypotension include:. There are several common causes of overall hypotension , which would include a low diastolic number. Treating isolated diastolic hypotension is more difficult than treating general hypotension. Overtreatment of high blood pressure can be managed by adjusting or changing medications. The goal is to keep the diastolic blood pressure between 60 and 90 mm Hg.

Your doctor may also change other medications that cause hypotension. Dehydration can be treated with fluid replacement. In some cases, you may need medications that increase blood pressure. Isolated diastolic hypotension can be especially dangerous because it can decrease blood flow to your heart. You may be at higher risk if you have coronary artery disease. Over time, isolated diastolic hypotension can cause heart failure. In fact, it may be one of the most common causes of heart failure.

Pay attention to your diastolic number when you have your blood pressure checked. If your lower number is 60 or below, ask your doctor about it.