Lower blood pressure: why it is important and how to keep it under control

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Blood or arterial pressure is the pressure of blood on the walls of blood vessels. It is determined by the volume of blood that the heart pushes out per unit time, and the strength of the vascular response resistance. Pressure creates conditions that allow blood to reach organs and supply them with oxygen and the nutrients it transports. It is believed that a person’s blood pressure is normal when the heart copes with its pumping function and the blood vessels remain elastic and strong.

Lower and upper blood pressure

In a healthy person, the heart muscle contracts 60 to 80 times per minute at rest. With each contraction, the heart pumps another portion of blood into the arteries. Accordingly, the maximum blood pressure on the walls of blood vessels is recorded at the moment of contraction of the heart muscle. Between contractions, the heart muscle relaxes. At the time of such rest, blood pressure is at its lowest.

The highest reading is called systolic or upper pressure. The name comes from the word “systole” - the stage of contraction. The lowest pressure reading is called diastolic (from the word “diastole” - the stage of relaxation). Systole and diastole are stages of the normal cardiac cycle.

Pressure readings are traditionally recorded in millimeters of mercury. When measuring, the upper pressure indicator is always indicated first, and the lower pressure indicator second.

Pathological causes of decreased blood pressure

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Some diseases and pathological conditions can become factors causing a decrease in diastolic pressure to 60 mm Hg. Art. and below. Among them:

• kidney disease with insufficiency of renin synthesis (more often, this is typical hypotension);
• adrenal gland problems with insufficient cortisol synthesis (Addison syndrome);
• pathologies of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), pituitary gland;
• early period of a heart attack, stroke;
• TBI;
• disorders of the musculoskeletal system, cervical muscles (fibrosis, myositis, intervertebral hernia);
• anemia;
• massive bleeding;
• tumors of different locations;
• cardiomyopathy;
• severe infections (tuberculosis, syphilis);
• disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (prolonged diarrhea, vomiting);
• mental instability (neuroses, depression).

Hypotension can occur as a consequence of prolonged use of drugs to lower blood pressure prescribed for hypertensive patients, diuretics. This especially often occurs due to self-medication or exceeding prescribed doses.

What pressure is considered normal?

Several factors simultaneously influence blood pressure:

• condition of the heart muscle;
• condition of the walls of blood vessels;
• the presence of deposits on the walls of blood vessels;
• person's age;
• human body type;
• a person’s lifestyle and physical activity;
• external factors, for example, region of residence.

If we summarize all these points, we can conclude that the “ideal” blood pressure is determined very individually. Of course, doctors have a standard of 120/80, but this does not mean that absolutely all people will feel good at this pressure. For example, the normal pressure indicator for petite women is 110/70, for athletes who are constantly exposed to physical activity - 130/80. A normal person may have slightly lower or higher blood pressure, and even the slightest changes will be immediately noticeable.

However, there are also extreme limits that doctors consider critical. For example, if the pressure reading is 140/90 and at the same time it tends to increase, then this is a sign of arterial hypertension. In this case, you should definitely consult a doctor, and if your general condition suddenly worsens, call an ambulance.

To bring the blood pressure back to normal, the doctor may prescribe medication. In addition to taking medications, it is necessary to change your lifestyle and eating habits: give up smoking, alcohol, fatty, heavy foods.

Extremely low blood pressure, for example 90/60, indicates that the organs are not receiving enough nutrition: the brain activity of such a person is reduced, and there is a risk of oxygen starvation. Such indicators may indicate concomitant diseases: vegetative-vascular dystonia, anemia, adrenal insufficiency, etc.

Clinical picture

Renal arterial hypertension is characterized by a significant increase in blood pressure and accompanying conditions. Patients complain of the following ailments:

• constant thirst;
• general weakness;
• lower back pain;
• frequent urination;
• increased body temperature;
• pain when urinating.

In addition, the pathology may be accompanied by discomfort characteristic of high blood pressure: headache, shortness of breath, vomiting, nausea, dizziness and blurred vision.

It is important to understand that the symptoms of renal hypertension require medical attention. Treatment based on recommendations from friends or advice from the Internet can lead to rapid progression of the disease. A serious deterioration in kidney function will be noticeable within a few months. Such conditions are very difficult to treat with medication, so timely consultation with a doctor is the key to successful therapy.

Age norms for blood pressure

Blood pressure levels can change throughout life. Sometimes this is due to a person moving to another region: the body adapts to new external conditions, so the pressure can decrease or increase within 10 points. However, in most cases, changes in blood pressure are affected by age.

With age, the walls of blood vessels become less elastic, and their internal space decreases due to various deposits and “plaques”. The response resistance from the vessels weakens, and the blood stretches their walls more strongly.

With age, a person's blood vessels become clogged and narrowed.

However, experts advise not to make serious allowances for age when measuring blood pressure. In a healthy person, it is permissible to increase blood pressure with age by 10–15 mmHg. If there is a sharp jump in pressure, then this is not due to age, but rather to the development of a disease of the cardiovascular system, which is dangerous to ignore.

Average age-related blood pressure norms in young men are slightly higher than in women, which is explained by greater muscle mass. However, with age, the rates for both sexes become approximately the same. Changes in indicators with age can be presented in the following table.

Indicators of upper and lower pressure depend on the age and gender of the person

Doctors recommend measuring blood pressure regularly and monitoring its levels starting at age 30. From the age of 40 years and over, measuring blood pressure should become a daily procedure.

Physiological causes of diastolic hypotension

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Hypotension with lower blood pressure readings of 60 mm Hg. Art. can be detected in both healthy and sick people. Experts call the physiological reasons causing the condition:

• Puberty. The hormonal characteristics of adolescents are accompanied by abnormalities in hemodynamics and heart rate. This leads to a typical or isolated form of hypotension, which occurs in thin, tall adolescents (usually girls).
• Advanced age. A slight decrease in indicators is explained by deterioration in the functioning of the heart and brain due to circulatory problems, which causes insufficient nutrition of tissues and organs.
• Changes in hormonal levels in women. A similar condition accompanies pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause. As a rule, it does not require drug correction. The exception is pathological menopause, accompanied by a serious deterioration in well-being.
• The body's need to adapt. Such hypotension is typical for professional athletes, workers in hazardous industries, and tourists visiting countries with an unusual climate.

A decrease in diastolic indicators in the above cases can occasionally affect general well-being, which requires special measures to be taken. But usually, it does not manifest itself in any way, therefore, the person feels quite healthy.

Feeling unwell due to decreased blood pressure is much more common. This is explained by the manifestations of diseases that cause hypotension.

Blood pressure measurement

Modern devices for measuring pressure are either mechanical or electronic. When using a mechanical pressure gauge, a phonendoscope is required, with which you can hear the beginning and end of the stages of systole and diastole.

Blood pressure is measured while sitting or lying down. In order for the readings to be accurate, the pressure gauge should be at the level of the person’s heart, and the cuff should be approximately 2 cm above the elbow. Air is pumped into the cuff, causing compression of the blood vessels and the disappearance of the pulse, and then slowly released. The point at which clearly visible pulse beats appeared is noted as an indicator of upper pressure, and the point at which these beats disappear is noted as an indicator of lower pressure. An electronic pressure gauge works without a phonendoscope; in this case, indicators of upper and lower pressure, as well as pulse, are recorded automatically and displayed on the screen.

The availability of modern devices for measuring blood pressure and the ease of their operation allow everyone to regularly monitor this important vital sign of their own body and take timely measures if such a need arises.

Make an appointment Do not self-medicate. Contact our specialists who will correctly diagnose and prescribe treatment.

What to do: treatment features

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Treatment of hypotension with a lower pressure of 60 mm Hg. It is necessary only if your health deteriorates significantly or if unpleasant or painful symptoms appear.

The first step to recovery should be a visit to a general practitioner. He will be able to refer you to more specialized specialists - a cardiologist, endocrinologist, urologist, neurologist. You should also prepare to undergo detailed diagnostics and undergo laboratory tests.

To relieve the symptoms of hypotension, it is necessary to treat the underlying disease that caused it. To alleviate the condition, symptomatic drug therapy is prescribed. Can be used:

• analeptics;
• alpha adrenergic agonists;
• adaptogens;

Also prescribed are medications that include caffeine and can help in a very short time - Citramon, Caffetamine, Saparal. The drugs are recommended in limited dosages so as not to provoke the onset of hypertension.

To stabilize the level of lower pressure, physiotherapy may be recommended - massage, electro-, water- and magnetic therapy, aromatherapy.

In some cases, professional psychological help is necessary.

Causes

Renal hypertension is classified as secondary (symptomatic) hypertension. This kidney pathology occurs in 7-10% of cases of increased blood pressure. The cause of the condition can be any kidney disease:

• fibromuscular dysplasia of the renal artery;
• polycystic kidney disease;
• atherosclerosis, thrombosis, compression of the renal artery;
• nephropathy;
• kidney malformations;
• glomerulonephritis;
• systemic connective tissue diseases;
• kidney amyloidosis;
• chronic pyelonephritis and other pathologies that can cause changes in the structures of the kidneys.

Very often, renal hypertension occurs in combination with diabetes mellitus and other diseases of the endocrine system. Quite often, the development of renal hypertension occurs while taking certain medications.

Diagnostics

The “Clinic of Modern Medicine” has a powerful modern laboratory and technical base, which allows you to quickly conduct a comprehensive study and promptly obtain reliable results. The following studies will help determine whether hypertension has a renal component:

• urine tests (general, according to Nechiporenko, bacterioscopy of urinary sediment),
• blood test (general, urea, creatinine),
• Ultrasound, MRI of the adrenal glands,
• excretory urography,
• angiography of the renal arteries,
• radioisotope radiography,
• kidney biopsy.

Differential diagnosis makes it possible to accurately identify pathology, determine the type of hypertension, its stage and severity, which allows the doctor to select the most effective treatment regimen.