Know Your Numbers Week 2022 - Blood Pressure Readings Explained

What is Know Your Numbers Week?

Know Your Numbers Week 2022 is an annually held awareness week that is used to draw awareness to understanding your blood pressure readings, giving you a better insight into the important results a blood pressure test delivers. Know Your Numbers Week 2022 was created by Blood Pressure UK and is being held between the 5th and the 11th of September in 2022. 

What are blood pressure readings?

Blood pressure readings are displayed with two numbers on blood pressure monitors. The top, or first number is called the systolic number which is the highest level your blood pressure reaches when pumping blood around the body. The second number, or the lower number, is the diastolic number. This is the lowest number your blood pressure will reach when you're resting. Blood pressure readings are displayed with the systolic number before a slash followed by the diastolic number. 

Both high blood pressure and low blood pressure can pose risks to health. High blood pressure is considered to be 130/80 and higher, and low blood pressure is considered to be 90/60 and lower. If your blood pressure is 180/110 or higher more than once then you should seek medical assistance as soon as possible.

Why is knowing your blood pressure important?

Knowing what your blood pressure is can be incredibly important as it can provide insight into your general health. Keeping track of blood pressure also allows you to recognise when your blood pressure may be rising, or falling. Below is a video explaining why it is important to know your blood pressure.

What is a normal blood pressure reading for men?

Normal blood pressure readings for men will vary depending on age. The age group of men with the lowest blood pressure on average is those between 31 and 35. The average blood pressure for people in this age range is 114.5/75.5. The group of men with the highest average blood pressure are those aged between 61 and 65. Below is a table of normal blood pressure and age groups. 

Understanding your blood pressure

Understanding blood pressure readings may seem difficult. Here is a handy video to explain what your blood pressure readings actually show.

What is a normal blood pressure reading for women?

Female blood pressure is also dependent on age range. The group of women with the lowest average blood pressure by age group is those between the ages of 31 and 35. The average blood pressure reading for women in this age range is 110.5/72.5. The age group of women with the highest average blood pressure is those between the ages of 56 and 60. This age group's average blood pressure is 132.5/78.5. Below is a table of the average blood pressure for female age groups.

How can I measure my own blood pressure?

Measuring your own blood pressure at home using a blood pressure monitor is a great way to keep track of your numbers. Here is a video explaining how to measure your own blood pressure at home.

Sources

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/blood-pressure-test/

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/lifestyle/what-is-blood-pressure/

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/understanding-blood-pressure-readings

https://www.bloodpressureuk.org/your-blood-pressure/understanding-your-blood-pressure/what-do-the-numbers-mean/

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/risk-factors/high-blood-pressure