Good for the elderly
According to the guidelines, the new normal blood pressure for seniors (and everyone else) is less than 120/80. Blood pressure is generally considered too low if it dips below 90/60.
The ideal blood pressure for seniors is now considered 120/80 (systolic/diastolic), which is the same for younger adults. The high blood pressure range for seniors starts at hypertension stage 1, spanning between 130-139/80-89.
The researchers concluded that, for adults aged 80 years or older, intensively controlling systolic blood pressure to less than 120 mmHg lowers the risk of heart attacks, stroke, death, and mild cognitive impairment, but increases the risk of declines in kidney function.
The new guidelines change nothing if you’re younger than 60. But if you’re 60 or older, the target has moved up: Your goal is to keep your blood pressure at 150/90 or lower. If you have kidney disease or diabetes, your target used to be 130/80 or lower; now it’s 140/90 or lower.
Clearly, this is a small percentage, but not an insignificant number. When treating hypertension in patients over the age of 85 years, the usual target blood pressure is 150/80 mmHg for reduction of the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular events.
According to the guidelines, the new normal blood pressure for seniors (and everyone else) is less than 120/80. Blood pressure is generally considered too low if it dips below 90/60.
The American College of Cardiology still recommends getting blood pressure below 140/90 in people up to 80 years old, and the American Heart Association says blood pressure should be under 140/90 until about age 75, at which point, Dr.
Lowering an older person’s systolic blood pressure to 120 mmHg or lower reduces the risk of heart disease, but increases the chance of kidney changes.
Your blood pressure should be less than 140/90 (“140 over 90”). If you have diabetes, it should be less than 130/80 (“130 over 80”). If you are 80 years and older, it should be less than 150/90 (“150 over 90”). In general, the lower your blood pressure, the better.
Angiotensin Receptor Blockers ARBs are considered the alternative first-line treatment for hypertension in the elderly population when a diuretic is contraindicated. In elderly hypertensive patients with diabetes or HF, ARBs are considered first-line treatment and an alternative to ACE inhibitors.
The normal resting heart rate for adults over the age of 10 years, including older adults, is between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm). Highly trained athletes may have a resting heart rate below 60 bpm, sometimes reaching 40 bpm.
Blood pressure readings above 180/120 mmHg are considered stroke-level, dangerously high and require immediate medical attention.
Normal pressure is 120/80 or lower. Your blood pressure is considered high (stage 1) if it reads 130/80. Stage 2 high blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. If you get a blood pressure reading of 180/110 or higher more than once, seek medical treatment right away.
If your blood pressure gets too low, it can cause dizziness, fainting or death. Low blood pressure is not a condition that is usually treated except if it occurs in the elderly or occurs suddenly. In patients over 65, it could indicate the brain and limbs are not receiving adequate blood supply.
“As you age, the vascular system changes. This includes your heart and blood vessels. In the blood vessels, there’s a reduction in elastic tissue in your arteries, causing them to become stiffer and less compliant. As a result, your blood pressure increases,” Nakano said.
If your blood pressure is 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or lower, it’s considered normal. Generally, if the blood pressure reading is under 90/60 mm Hg, it is abnormally low and is referred to as hypotension.