Most older adults know that blood pressure over–0/90 is considered high blood pressure and that healthy blood pressure is 120/80 or lower. But what does that mean? The first number is the systolic blood pressure, which means the pressure of blood against the artery walls when the heart beats. The second number is the diastolic blood pressure – the pressure of the blood when the heart is at rest (in between beats). Blood pressure goes high when the flow of blood encounters resistance in the arteries.
If blood pressure continues to be high it can cause all kinds of havoc in other systems of the body, such as kidneys and other delicate tissues. It can also cause heart attack or stroke. The heart can be enlarged because it is working harder to pump blood. Yet 30% of people who have high blood pressure don’t even know they have it, because there are no symptoms. .
As we age, cholesterol, calcium, and other minerals accumulate on the inside lining of our blood vessels and, over time, clog them. This process is referred to variously as hardening of the arteries, atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis, and arterial plaque buildup. It makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood and thereby increases blood pressure.
