advertisement

Fittest Loser Tip of the Week: How to interpret blood pressure numbers

Demystifying Blood Pressure Readings

A blood pressure reading has measurements for two kinds of blood pressure: systolic pressure, which is the pressure in arteries when your heart muscle contracts, and diastolic pressure, which is the pressure in your blood when your heart rests between beats. These two types of pressure are measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). A blood pressure measurement has systolic pressure listed first and diastolic pressure listed second.

There may be cause for concern if your systolic measurement is between 120 and 139 mm Hg, or if your diastolic measurement is between 80 and 89 mm Hg. While these levels are not considered high, you may have pre-hypertension - which is a sign that you may need to adopt healthier habits.

A blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg is considered high. Generally, if you have high blood pressure, you may also be diagnosed with hypertension. Hypertension significantly increases your chances of heart disease and stroke. A blood pressure reading of 120/80 mm Hg is considered normal. But, even if you have normal blood pressure, it's important to take preventive measures to decrease your risk of developing problems in the future.

Look out for more weekly wellness tips from Assurance, a proud sponsor of the Fittest Loser.

• Jill Micklow is a Wellness Consultant on the Employee Benefits team at Assurance, a Top 50 U.S. insurance brokerage headquartered in Schaumburg, IL. She brings Assurance's passion for "minimizing risk and maximizing health" to clients nationwide by helping identify specific health and wellness goals and then tailoring wellness programs for short and long-term success.

Fittest Loser Tip of the Week: How to set goals

Fittest Loser Tip of the Week: The 10 Minute Workout

Fittest Loser Tip of the Week: Getting sleep

Fittest Loser Tip of the Week: Packing healthy lunch

Fittest Loser Tip of the Week: Preventing sick days

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.