74. My Recent Blood Pressure Values

I checked my blood pressure recently and the values were:
My systolic blood pressure was 122 mmHg
My diastolic blood pressure was 78 mmHg
My pulse rate was 75 beats per minute

What do these values imply to my health condition?

First let us know something about blood pressure and its impact on someone's health. When someone's blood pressure is measured two numbers will be obtained, the first number called systolic blood pressure and the second diastolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure measures the pressure in someone's blood vessels when his/her heart beats. Diastolic blood pressure measures the pressure in someone's blood vessels when his/her heart rests between beats. The first and second numbers are indicated together as 120/80 mmHg as an example.

As generally accepted, normal ideal blood pressure should be less than 120/80 mmHg. When someone's blood pressure is equal to or more than 140/90 mmHg, he/she will be diagnosed as having high blood pressure.

High blood pressure can damage someone's health in many ways. It can seriously hurt important organs like the heart and the brain. High blood pressure can harden someone's arteries, which decreases the flow of blood and oxygen to someone's heart and lead to heart disease.

High blood pressure can burst or block arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain, causing a stroke. Brain cells die during a stroke because they do not get enough oxygen. Stroke can cause serious disabilities in speech, movement, and other basic activities, and a stroke can kill someone.

Adults with diabetes, high blood pressure, or both have a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease than those without these diseases. Approximately 1 of 3 adults with diabetes and 1 of 5 adults with high blood pressure have chronic kidney disease.

Now return to the question I put in the beginning of this article concerning my recent blood pressure values: "What do these values imply to my health condition?" My blood pressure values, 122/78 mmHg, are close to the normal ideal values and this implies that my health condition is quite satisfactory!

(Written on September 23, 2019)