Working it Out
Your Normal Blood Pressure Range

The normal blood pressure range of persons aged 20 – 40 years is 120mm Hg systolic pressure and 80mm Hg diastolic pressure.= 120/80mmHg. By using the term "normal", we really mean the ideal figure. Anyone registering above this range is classed as being pre-hypertensive, and if not addressed can develop into high blood pressure. See the charts below refined averages.

The Systolic pressure is when the heart`s ventricles contract and push the blood through the veins. It is called the systole, the pressure during heartbeat action. The Diastolic pressure is the lower pressure that results when air is released out of the cuff and no more sound is heard. This is called the diastole; the artery resting pressure.

Taking Blood Pressure

To learn how to use an arm cuff, monitor, stethoscope and graph, see my chart page. But if you prefer, you can use a Digital Monitor instead, because the stethoscope quite difficult to use and understand, plus it can cause a lot of fun and laughter, not the right condition for measuring blood pressure.

The normal blood pressure range can vary depending on what age you are according to this older chart. This chart is now not recognized by conventional health institutions but some alternative practitioners accept that blood pressure levels considered normal vary from person to person.

For example, it increases with age when the elasticity of arteries is reduced.

Source - Evolution and Modulation of Age-related Medial Elastocalcinosis: impact on large artery stiffness and isolated systolic hypertension. Dao HH, Essalihi R, Bouvet C, Moreau P.

Cardiovasc Res. 2005 May 1;66(2):307-17. Review.PMID: 15820199 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

For example, hypertension in men normally is higher than hypertension in women. This is due to pre-menopausal factors, but also depends on how healthy an individual is.

Consult the chart to the right for the minimum, maximum, and average blood pressure ranges of various age groups.

It used to be the practice of adding 100 to one`s age to get a rough guide of the systolic pressure. If your age was 50 then your normal blood pressure reading would have been expected to be around 150. Then after taking your blood pressure, you would check the reading and compare it with that figure. Doing this was how you determined if you were over the norm or under. Since then that practice has been forfeited, and the ideal number of 120/80 is the gauge.

Reading Blood Pressure

Because blood pressure fluctuates all through the day, taking regular blood pressure readings at the same time each day will give a more accurate reading.

Preferable times to do this are as soon as you wake up before you have your first cup of tea in the morning and get dressed, and as soon as you finish work. You may very well find that your readings will be lower when you monitor your own blood pressure. But be sure to be honest with yourself. It`s your health that matters.

For US Blood Pressure Monitors and Reviews click here...

Some facts to take into consideration are :