Norms of arterial pressure in adults: table. The reasons for the deviations of the upper and lower indicators

Arterial pressure is a vital indicator of the cardiovascular system's efficiency, by which it is possible to judge the state of the organism as a whole. Deviations from the physiological norm signal significant health problems. What is the opinion of doctors about the limits of blood pressure indicators?

How is the blood pressure index formed?

The blood in the vessels has a mechanical effect on their walls. Technically, there is always pressure in the arteries and veins. But when it is measured with a tonometer, other points are important.

With a contraction of the heart muscle, blood is ejected from the ventricles into the vessels. This pulse creates the so-called "upper", or systolic pressure. Then the blood is distributed along the vessels, and the minimum level of their filling, at which the knock of the heart in the phonendoscope is heard, gives the "lower" or diastolic index. So the result is formed - a figure reflecting the state of the organism at the moment.

Normal indicators - what should they be?

In the medical environment, disputes are being held about which indicators should be guided in the measurement of pressure. The norms of arterial pressure in adults were repeatedly formulated. The table shows, from what figures the cardiologists and therapists pushed in the period of the USSR.

The systolic pressure was calculated by the formula:

- 109 + (0.5 x age) + (0.1 x weight),

And the diastolic level is as follows:

- 63 + (0.1 x age) + (0.15 x weight).

The lower limit of the systolic pressure norm was 110 mm Hg. St, the upper - 140 mm. All the indicators that turned out to be outside this framework were taken for pathology. Similarly, the lower limit of diastolic pressure was assumed to be 60 mm Hg. The upper one is 90 mm. Collecting these figures together, we get a run-up of the norm values from 110/60 to 140/90. Many therapists and cardiologists of the old school are guided by this in their medical practice.

Modern views on blood pressure indicators

A little later, on the basis of numerous studies, other norms of arterial pressure in adults were derived. The table used in our time was compiled by WHO in 1999. Based on it, the limits of the systolic pressure norm range from 110 to 130 mm Hg. St, diastolic - 65-80 mm. These figures relate primarily to patients younger than 40 years.

For today among doctors there is no common opinion as to what indicators to consider as a norm, and which are pathologies. During the examination, they are guided by what pressure is normal, "comfortable" for a particular patient, and records this information with his own words. Further in the diagnosis and treatment proceed from this indicator. Figures below 110/60 and above 140/90 will still be considered as signs of pathological changes.

Working pressure - what is it?

This expression can be heard in everyday life. The notion of "working" pressure means such indicators, in which a person feels comfortable, despite the fact that one of them or both - systolic and diastolic - is significantly increased or decreased. In general, this attitude to yourself reflects only the desire to ignore the existing problem.

Cardiologists do not have the concept of "working" pressure of the patient. Rates above 140/90 in middle-aged people are classified as hypertension. It can be justified by the fact that with the years on the walls of the vessels the accumulations of cholesterol are deposited, narrowing their lumen. Clinically, there is no serious deterioration, but the risk of developing pathology increases at times.

Opinions of foreign scientists

In the post-Soviet countries, on the one hand, and in America and Canada, on the other, different approaches have been adopted to determine the norm of arterial pressure in adults. The table shows how the patient's condition is classified according to its indicators.

Arterial pressure at the level of 130/90 can be considered prehypertension, that is, a condition bordering on pathology. The level of systolic indicators of 110-125 mm Hg, and diastolic - less than 80, is called in the West as "a state of rest of the heart." In our country, the pressure 130/90 will be considered the norm for physically developed men who are actively involved in sports, or people over 40.

In Western Europe, the approach to the condition of the cardiovascular system is similar, but in the scientific literature one can find some data similar to post-Soviet norms. There is a peculiar view on the norms of arterial pressure in adults: the table contains unusual terms for us - "low normal", "normal" and "high normal". For the standard, the indicator is 120/80.

Age changes

The older a person becomes, the more serious changes his vessels and heart muscle undergo. Stress, poor nutrition, hereditary predisposition - all this affects the state of health. People with diagnosed pathology are advised to measure pressure daily. It is better if the indicators are recorded in a special table. There you can enter data after measuring the pulse.

With age, the norm of arterial pressure in adults is gradually changing. Table and pulse together provide objective information about changes in the state of the vessels. If the figures at some point exceeded the usual norm for the patient, this is not a reason for panic - an increase of 10 mm Hg. Art. It is considered acceptable after physical exertion, in a state of fatigue, after a long working day. But a stable, for a long time, deviation is a sign of developing pathology.

Should pressure rise with age?

In view of the changes in blood vessels that occur due to a decrease in arterial tone and cholesterol deposition on the walls, as well as changes in the functioning of the myocardium, the age norm of arterial pressure in adults is adjusted (Table).

In women of 40 years the average is 127/80, in men it is slightly higher - 129/81. This is due to the fact that members of the stronger sex, as a rule, withstand greater physical exertion, and their body weight is greater than that of women, which contributes to increased pressure.

Dynamics of indicators after 50 years

The blood pressure is also affected by the level of various hormones, especially steroids. Their content in the blood is unstable, and over the years, during the restructuring of the body, there is an increasing imbalance. This affects the heart rate and blood vessels fullness of blood vessels. The average norm of arterial pressure in women of 50 years shifts towards increase and becomes equal to 137/84, and in men of similar age - 135/83. These are the figures above which indicators at rest should not rise.

Because of what other factors does the norm of arterial pressure in adults increase? Table (in women after 50 years, the risk of developing hypertension is higher, since hormonal changes, the so-called menopause, begin to affect this age), of course, can not specify them all. The stresses they endure for the body are also important - pregnancy and childbirth (if they were). The statistical probability of the development of hypertension in a woman over 50 is higher than that of a man of the same age due to the difference in the processes of aging.

Indicators after 60 years

The trend, established in previous years, is preserved in the future. The norm of arterial pressure in adults continues to increase (table). In women after 60 years, the average value is 144/85, in men - 142/85. Weak sex is somewhat ahead of the growth rates of indicators (due to all the same hormonal changes).

After 60 years, normal blood pressure physiologically exceeds the standard values of 140/90, but this is not the reason for the diagnosis of "arterial hypertension". Practitioners in many ways are guided by the state of health of elderly patients and their complaints. In addition to measurement of blood pressure, a cardiogram is used to monitor the state of the cardiovascular system, on which pathologies are expressed much more clearly than in pressure indices.

Associated pathologies

In addition to age, a systematic increase in pressure provokes metabolic disorders, kidney diseases, bad habits, etc. Smoking provokes narrowing of small vessels, which in the long term causes a decrease in the lumen of large arteries and, as a consequence, hypertension. If the kidneys are broken, the hormone aldosterone is produced, which also leads to an increase in blood pressure. The risk of hypertension is in diabetics, whose vessels are particularly prone to deposits on the inner walls. Timely detection and prevention of major diseases will keep the pressure in the norm and live an active life.

Causes of hypotension

In addition to the increase, many people at the young and older age have a decrease in pressure relative to the norms. If this is a stable indicator, then there are practically no grounds for concern. Physiologically low blood pressure may be in miniature girls or in young people with asthenic complexion. The working capacity is not violated.

If a decrease in pressure occurs suddenly and leads to a worsening of the condition, this may indicate heart failure, vegetative-vascular dystonia, rhythm disturbances and even the opening internal bleeding. With such symptoms, you need to urgently undergo a complete examination.

How to monitor the indicators?

It is best to have your own tonometer at home and master the technique of measuring blood pressure. This is a simple procedure, and everyone can learn this. The received data should be entered in a diary or table. In the same place, you can briefly make notes about your health, heart rate, physical activity.

Often, hypertension does not manifest itself as external signs until something provokes a crisis - a sharp increase in blood pressure. This condition has many life-threatening consequences, for example, a hemorrhagic stroke or a heart attack. It is advisable to introduce yourself into the habit of regularly measuring the pressure after 40-45 years. This will significantly reduce the risk of developing hypertension.