Normal Blood Pressure

When can we say that you have a normal blood pressure? Normal blood pressure was defined as 120/80 mmHg (systolic / diastolic) for a long time. However in recent development, the American Heart Association changed the definition of normal blood pressure to “Less than 120 / Less than 80.”

Because of ongoing research examining the long term health effects of different blood pressures, this redefinition was enacted. The new American Heart Association guidelines also changed the cut-off values for the different stages of high blood pressure along with the redefinition of the normal value.

The basic facts haven't really changed much over the past several decades although we often hear announcements in the press about new or revised blood-pressure guidelines. That basic fact is that blood pressure is measured by two numbers, the systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. The pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood is called systolic blood pressure, while the diastolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats.

Blood pressure normally changes throughout the day, often by 40 points or more. The things that will likely increase it are exercise and stress while relaxation and sleep will usually lower it. An increase in blood pressure by 10 or more points will likely be caused by standing up or walking. Believe it or not, but simply worrying about blood pressure will increase it.

Anything above 120/80 mmHg is considered to be high blood pressure. A slight increase in the risk of significant health problems arise when there is a mild elevation beyond those numbers. Until the systolic reaches 140 or the diastolic reaches 90, medication is generally not prescribed to bring down blood pressure. For people with diabetes or impaired kidney function, anything above 130/80 mmHg is given medication. That's because they are already at higher risk for heart attack and stroke.

Even if you do not take medications, you can still have a normal blood pressure by doing some lifestyle changes that will help in controlling high blood pressure:

Reducing dietary sugar intake
Reducing stress – have relaxation therapy, such as meditation and other mindbody relaxation techniques; reducing environmental stress – high sound levels and over-illumination can help in controlling high blood pressure
Weight reduction and regular aerobic exercise – helps in treating mild to moderate hypertension; regular mild exercise improves blood flow and helps to reduce resting heart rate and blood pressure;
Additional dietary changes – DASH diet (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) is beneficial to reducing blood pressure, which is rich in fruits and vegetables and low fat or fat-free dairy foods
Reducing sodium (salt) in the diet – proven very effective
Increase in daily calcium intake – has the benefit of increasing dietary potassium, which theoretically can offset the effect of sodium and act on the kidney to decrease blood pressure. This has also been shown to be highly effective in reducing blood pressure
Discontinuing tobacco use and alcohol consumption – has been shown to lower blood pressure; blood pressure (especially systolic) always transiently increases following alcohol and/or nicotine consumption
Reduce coffee intake – caffeine ingestion also increases blood pressure transiently, but does not produce chronic hypertension
Quit smoking – smoking can damage your blood vessels and raise your risk for high blood pressure
Limit alcoholic drinks – too much alcohol will raise your blood pressure

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Understanding Normal Blood Pressure Recommended Resources:

Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide

Indiana University