Basically, I’ve always been really healthy, went to the doctor, got my BP (104/68) and was told it’s really healthy.
Then I said (to my Mom, an RN) “would it be better to be 104/80 or 104/60” and she just looked at me like I was crazy, then told me 104/60. Then I said, “but would it be better to be 100/72 or 104/68?” And she was just done with me at that point and I just don’t understand what these numbers mean and the internet is too advanced for me.
In: Biology
I’m sure you’ve seen one of those blood pressure bags they wrap around your arm to see what you got and then squeeze the bladder to pump into the bag. Think of your heart exactly like hand squeezing the bladder. You gotta squeeze hard to pump air in but relax when filling the bladder to pump more air.
To put it simply, the higher number or the systolic pressure is the pressure exerted on your arteries when your heart squeezes. This number is usually higher because of the work needed to supply your entire body with blood against gravity and your arteries. You can feel this pressure with the old finger-to-neck trick. The lower number or diastolic pressure is the pressure measured of your arteries when your heart relaxes.
To further add to this, your heart is a muscle, and like any other muscle, overworking the heart can have serious complications especially when it is overworking “at rest” (meaning you’re not exerting yourself). So the lower the number, the better it is for your heart (and you).
Why these numbers are different between people is because of the fact that was said earlier: the pressure the pumped blood exerts on the arteries. Those who don’t exercise or eat healthy have narrower arteries due to lack of stimulation and/or fat buildup (called plaque) while those who do exercise work the heart at a higher rate than usual can expand those arterial walls (also why you get an excessive itchy feeling when trying to exercise for the first time in a long while). Triathlons, who are known to push their hearts aggressively and for extended amount of time through exercise, can have super low heart rates such as 80/40 at rest because their heart practically breathes blood through wide open arteries.
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