JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Blood Pressure by age: Find out what happens to blood pressure levels as we age
Age is a known risk factor for high blood pressure. In general, blood pressure rises as people get older. In fact, up to 80 percent of people over 65 have shown high blood pressure levels.
Our blood pressure is read in two numbers, systolic over diastolic, and measured in millimeters of mercury. The normal blood pressure level reading is 120/80 mm Hg or "120 over 80”. If your systolic reading exceeds 140, it means you could be a patient of high blood pressure. There are typical changes to our blood pressure levels as we age. Usually high blood pressure or hypertension aggravates with age.
Interestingly, the systolic blood pressure rises with age while the diastolic blood pressure tends to fall. You might notice that the diastolic reading remains 80 or lower while the systolic reading keeps increasing. This is true for people with high blood pressure and even those with no history of high blood pressure. For people with pre-existing high blood pressure, this age-related blood pressure increase can happen even if the blood pressure is well controlled with medicine!
Why does blood pressure level increase with age?
The reasons why blood pressure increases with age are not very well understood but the topic is underway intense research. Although some reasons could be
1. Changes in hormone profile due to age.
2. Older people have a tendency to oversalt their food because of decreased taste bud sensitivity.
3. Decreased efficiency of the heart due to the changes that happen in the walls of arteries and other blood vessels.
How to treat high blood pressure in senior citizens
If you have a history of high blood pressure, your doctor may need to adjust your treatment with advancing age. This is especially important for keeping your diastolic pressure high enough to prevent low blood pressure that could lead to a fall. Be sure to discuss all of your symptoms with your doctor and get regular checkups. Senior citizens are also encouraged to eat a healthy diet, avoid smoking and drinking, check salt consumption, exercise regularly and faithfully take their medicine to avoid any complications related to high blood pressure.
