Here’s the only rule you need to know the lower, the better. “It doesn’t really matter how low your reading is, even if it’s something very, very low, like 85 systolic. As long as you’re not feeling any ill effects from it, that’s just fine, In fact, you should feel good knowing you’re in a low-risk group,” says Robert DiBianco, M.D., director of cardiology research at the Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park, Maryland.
The landmark Framingham Heart Study, which took a decades-long look at the health of more than 5,200 residents of Framingham, Massachusetts, found that people with systolic blood pressure readings below 120 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury) had the least chance of suffering heart attacks. The risk rose steadily with increased pressure, People with the highest readings, 170 mm Hg or above, were over three times more likely to die of heart attacks than those at or below 120 mm Hg, Still, there are a couple of problems to watch for with low blood pressure. As people age, they’re more likely to suffer from a form of temporary low blood pressure called orthostatic hypotension-the sensation you get when you hop out of bed and suddenly feel weak, like the room is spinning or the lights are dimmed. “If you have ever fainted from that, or if it happens more than very, very rarely, you should see a doctor,” Dr. DiBianco says. The problem could be caused by mild dehydration, a reaction to medication, fever, illness or heart exhaustion, he says. For some people, especially the elderly and people with diabetes or heart disease and possibly those being treated for high blood pressure, readings that fall too low may be a particular risk. If you fit in one of these groups, consult your doctor, Dr. DiBianco says.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 23rd, 2007 at 6:09 am and is filed under High blood pressure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.