Every time we visit a doctor for a consultation or physical examination, our pulse rate and blood pressure are the first parameters to be checked. How many of us have really wondered about what blood pressure numbers really indicate?

These numbers of elevated blood pressure or hypertension are indicators of an additional workload on the heart and blood vessels. It was only in 1817, with the invention of the stethoscope that doctors were able to listen to the heart and understand the difference between the systole and the diastole. In 1854, the first tool to measure blood pressure externally was invented by a German physiologist Karl von Vierordt. In 1896, the first blood pressure monitor named the sphygmomanometer was introduced by Scipione Riva-Rocci. The blood pressure measurements were introduced in 1901.

Systolic blood pressure ( The number on top)
When our heart beats, blood is pumped out with some force throughout the body. This force creates pressure on the blood vessels and is called systolic blood pressure.

• Normal blood pressure – Is less than 120
• Blood pressure is elevated – if it is 120 – 129
• Stage 1 hypertension – if it is 130 – 139
• Stage 2 hypertension – if it is 140
• Needs emergency medical attention – if it is 180 or more.

Diastolic blood pressure (The number at the bottom)
When our heart rests between beats, it fills with blood and gets oxygen. The pressure in the arteries is diastolic blood pressure and is the number at the bottom.

• Normal blood pressure – if it is less than 80
• Stage 1 hypertension – if it between than 80-89
• Stage 2 hypertension – if it is between 90 -120
• Need medical attention – it is above 120

If your diastolic blood pressure is less than 80 but the systolic reading is 120-129, you still have elevated blood pressure and would require medication or need to consult a doctor.

For example, if you have a blood pressure of 110/70 you have normal blood pressure. If your blood pressure is 150/80 you need to consult a doctor immediately as this number indicates Stage 2 hypertension.

Why does our blood pressure need to be monitored so closely?
Hypertension needs to be closely monitored as it creeps up suddenly and catches one unaware. Research has shown a very close connection between hypertension and life-threatening conditions. It increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension in a person who is already affected by obesity or diabetes leads to high risk of cardiovascular diseases. The American Heart Association estimates that about 103 million people in the country have high blood pressure, and it also predicts that the number is likely to increase rapidly as the population grows older. With about 11% of deaths are caused by hypertension, the Federal Government and its agencies redefined high blood pressure numbers from 140/90 to 130/80 to bring more people under medical care and thereby reducing the number of deaths. The focus is to improve awareness of living healthy which can reduce the number of deaths caused by hypertension.