“I had my blood pressure measured the other day and it was 117/66. Is that a normal blood pressure reading? Also, what do those numbers mean?”
Linda, 44
A:
The top number should be under 140; it’s called the “systolic” number. It measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (when the heart muscle contracts). The bottom number should be under 90; it’s called the “diastolic” number. It measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats (when the heart muscle is resting between beats and refilling with blood).
Charity
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