Whats the significance of the spread between systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings?
Blood pressure readings are given in two numbers. The top number is the maximum pressure your heart exerts while beating (systolic pressure), and the bottom number is the amount of pressure in your arteries between beats (diastolic pressure). The numeric difference between your systolic and diastolic blood pressure is called your pulse pressure. For example, if your resting blood pressure is 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), your pulse pressure is 40 — the difference between 120 and 80. Research suggests that an elevated pulse pressure may be a strong predictor of heart problems, especially for older adults. Generally, a pulse pressure greater than 60 mm Hg is abnormal. The most important cause of elevated pulse pressure is stiffness and reduced elasticity of the aorta, the largest artery in the body. This may be due to high blood pressure or fatty deposits on the walls of the arteries (atherosclerosis). The greater your pulse pressure, the stiffer and more damaged the vessels are
Blood pressure readings are given in two numbers. The top number is the maximum pressure your heart exerts while beating (systolic pressure), and the bottom number is the amount of pressure in your arteries between beats (diastolic pressure). The numeric difference between your systolic and diastolic blood pressure is called your pulse pressure. For example, if your resting blood pressure is 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), your pulse pressure is 40 — the difference between 120 and 80. Research suggests that an elevated pulse pressure may be a strong predictor of heart problems, especially for older adults. Generally, a pulse pressure greater than 60 mm Hg is abnormal. The most important cause of elevated pulse pressure is stiffness and reduced elasticity of the aorta, the largest artery in the body. This may be due to high blood pressure or fatty deposits on the walls of the arteries (atherosclerosis). The greater your pulse pressure, the stiffer and more damaged the vessels are
