Regardless of age, in principle the recommended blood pressure should be the same for everyone.
There are cases in which this may vary, but in general, the ideal is a value below 140 x 90 mmHg (14 x 9).
Of course, blood pressure for each age can vary. In the past, in the case of older adults, higher values than recommended were tolerated, but today’s specialists think differently.
In the case of children and adolescents, there is a chart with normal blood pressure levels according to sex, height, and age.
The same applies to adults, with the ideal value being below 140 x 90 mmHg.
Special cases may also be observed, such as diabetics, chronic kidney patients, patients with aneurysms, or after a stroke.
In today’s article, we will see what blood pressure is for each age. Check it out!
What is blood pressure
First of all, we need to understand what blood pressure is, which is the pressure that blood exerts on the walls of the arteries. When these values are above ideal, the person may be diagnosed with high blood pressure.
The causes of this happening in the body are still not well defined. What is known is that it can occur due to genetic factors, the amount of salt in the body, among others.
Recommended values for children
As we can see, blood pressure for each age can vary. In the case of children and adolescents, these values are different from those of adults.
Therefore, there is a specific chart, in addition to some factors that can influence these values, such as weight, size, and sex.
For example, if a child is in the 10th height percentile, they may be considered hypertensive if blood pressure values persist above 109 x 70 mmHg.
A child of the same age, with height in the 90th percentile, needs to present values above 115 x 74 mmHg to be considered hypertensive.
Recommended values for pregnant women
During pregnancy, blood pressure should be below 14 x 9. However, even though the ideal blood pressure values are the same as for adults, medical treatment must be different due to side effects for the fetus.
The obstetrician will be responsible for evaluating each case and deciding whether or not to use medication to control blood pressure.
Recommended values for older adults
As mentioned above, in the past it was accepted that older patients had higher blood pressure. This happened because doctors feared that these people might suffer more from the side effects of medications.
In addition, they believed that high blood pressure would not harm the health of older adults. This mistaken idea changed after many studies proved otherwise.
Studies indicate that older adults who maintain better blood pressure control, with a value below 14 x 9, have a lower risk of heart attack, stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, enlarged heart, and cardiac death.
Cardiology specialists confirm that patients over 65 years old already have a greater risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases because of their age.
Conclusion
We can conclude that blood pressure for each age will depend on many factors. The important thing is that, in the face of any change in blood pressure, you should seek your doctor immediately.
If the diagnosis of hypertension is confirmed, the patient should have proper medical follow-up, follow the treatment indicated by the specialist, maintain a balanced diet, and practice some physical activity regularly.
In this way, maintaining a better quality of life and avoiding cardiovascular diseases.
