ABOUT BLOOD PRESSURE
What Is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against the walls of the arteries.
Systolic pressure occurs when the heart contracts; diastolic pressure occurs
when the heart expands. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury
(mmHg).
What Affects Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is affected by many factors: age, weight, time of day, activ-
ity level, climate, altitude and season. Certain activities can significantly
alter one' s blood pressure. Walking can raise systolic pressure by 12 mmHg
and diastolic pressure by 5.5 mmHg. Sleeping can decrease systolic blood
pressure by as much as 10 mmHg. Taking your blood pressure repeatedly
without waiting an interval of 5 minutes between readings, or without raising
your arm to allow blood to flow back to the heart, can also affect it.
In addition to these factors, beverages containing caffeine or alcohol, certain
medications, emotional stress and even tight-fitting clothes can make a differ-
ence in the readings.
What Causes Variations In Blood Pressure?
An individual' s blood pressure varies greatly from day to day and season to
season. For hypersensitive individuals, these variations are even more pro-
nounced. Normally, blood pressure rises during work or play and falls to its
lowest levels during sleep.
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ABOUT BLOOD PRESSURE
Assessing High Blood Pressure for Adults
The following standards for assessing high blood pressure (without regard
to age or gender) have been established as a guideline. Please note that other
risk factors (e.g. diabetes, obesity, smoking, etc.) need to be taken into con-
sideration and may affect these figures. Consult with your physician for an
accurate assessment.
JNC7 Classification Table – for adults within the U.S.
BP Classification
Systolic (mmHg)
Normal
less than 120
Prehypertension
120-139
Stage 1 Hypertension
140-159
greater than
Stage 2 Hypertension
or equal to
SOURCE: The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on
Prevention, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure for Adults.
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute - May 2003.
WHO Classification Table – for adults outside of the U.S.
(e.g. Canada, Mexico)
BP Classification
Systolic (mmHg)
Optimal
less than 120
Normal
less than 130
High-Normal
130-139
Stage 1 Hypertension
140-159
Stage 2 Hypertension
160-179
Stage 3 Hypertension
greater than
or equal to
SOURCE: Standards to assess high blood pressure, without regard to age
or gender, have been established by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In Canada - Auto Control Medical (Toll-Free): 1-800-461-0991
Diastolic (mmHg)
and less than 80
or
80-89
or
90-99
greater than
160
or
100
or equal to
Diastolic (mmHg)
and less than 80
or
less than 85
or
85-89
or
90-99
or
100-109
greater than
180
or
110
or equal to
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