What is isolated systolic high blood pressure?
Isolated systolic high blood pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading. This top number measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts and blood is pumped into the arteries. The Mayo Clinic defines a systolic number more than 140 mmHG and a diastolic number less than 90 mmHG as high blood pressure, also known as isolated systolic hypertension. However, you don’t have to have an elevated lower number to have high blood pressure. Isolated systolic hypertension is the most common type of high blood pressure in elderly people and is caused by hardening of the arteries. Stiffening of arteries is the cause of the increased pulse pressure. Pulse pressure is the difference between the diastolic and systolic pressures.
