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What you should know about blood pressure
1. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values
The cardiovascular system has the important function of supplying all organs and
tissues in the body with sufficient amounts of blood and of transporting metabolites.
For this, the heart contracts and expands at a regular rate of about 60 to 80 times
per minute. The pressure of the flowing blood on the artery walls caused by the
heart contracting is termed systolic. The pressure in the ensuing relaxation phase,
when the heart refills with blood, is termed diastolic. During daily measurement you
determine both values.
2. Reasons for measuring different values
Our blood pressure responds to internal and external influences like a sensitive
measuring instrument. It can be affected by even slight changes. This explains why
often values measured with the doctor or pharmacist are higher than those meas-
ured at home in the environment you are used to. Changes in the weather, climate
changes, or physical or psychological stress can have effects as well.
3. Why you should measure blood pressure regularly
Even the time of day has an influence on your blood pressure. During the day the
values are generally higher than during the periods of rest at night. One-off and
irregular measurements therefore say little about your actual blood pressure. A re-
liable assessment is possible only when measurements are taken regularly. Discuss
the measurement values with your doctor.
4. What are normal values for blood pressure?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) established the following limits in mmHg
(millimetre hydrargyrum / mercury) to classify the blood pressure values.
Normal value
systolic pressure
≤ 119
diastolic pressure
≤ 79
Limit
systolic pressure
120–139
diastolic pressure
80–89
High pressure
systolic pressure ≥
140 and/or*
diastolic pressure
≥ 90
D
* It is sufficient if one
of the values is too
high.
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