What is diastolic blood pressure?
Key points
- Diastolic pressure is the force of blood in the arteries as the heart relaxes between beats.
- The diastolic blood pressure has been and remains, especially for younger people, an important hypertension number.
- It's shown as the bottom number in a blood pressure reading.
- The higher the diastolic blood pressure the greater the risk for heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure.
Diastolic pressure is the force of blood in the arteries as the heart relaxes between beats. It's shown as the bottom number in a blood pressure reading.
The diastolic blood pressure has been and remains, especially for younger people, an important hypertension number. The higher the diastolic blood pressure the greater the risk for heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure. As people become older, the diastolic pressure will begin to decrease and the systolic blood pressure begins to rise and becomes more important. A rise in systolic blood pressure will also increase the chance for heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure. Your physician will use both the systolic and the diastolic blood pressure to determine your blood pressure category and appropriate prevention and treatment activities.
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
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