High Blood Pressure Question

Posted By Dee on October 08, 1998 at 20:04:15:







Hi Doctor,
       I am a 59 yr old female-and have been on 20 mg of Zestrol for several years. Sometimes, my bp is good and other times it fluctuates. Latetly, it has been doing something different-specifically, the Systolic number has been
running fairly normal for me-138 to 150. It is the Diastolic one that has me puzzled, as it has been running higher-96 to 121. Example, it was 142/121.
My question is, why would the diastolic be high and the systolic be fairly normal. I understand the diastolic is the heartbeat at rest, could you elaborate on this for me a little? I don't know of a specific reason for my BP problems, as have general good health. I am 5' 5 1/2" tall, average abt 150 lbs., do have the one determent of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.
Normally if my BP is up-both numbers are up. Someone told me also, that the closer the two numbers are together, the more risk of stroke, my Dr. says he has never heard of that. Both of my parents died of anyuerisms-Mother's in head, age 65 and Father's in stomach, age 74 plus my father had a Myocardal infarction at age 58. I have had the MRA of the head, and no problems. So my main question is what makes the diastolic BP higher than the systolic. Thank you so much for any help, Dee