blood pressure

When I went to my family doctor the other day, he said that he was more concerned in the diastolic number rather than the systolic number. But when I went to my cardiologist he said that in my case he  was more concerned in the systolic rather than the diastolic. Which doctor is right?

[momtofourboys]

Iif I remember correctly people are saying to look at the bottom # more then the top. I will try to google it.....
here I found something
Which Is More Important: Systolic Hypertension or Diastolic Hypertension?

from Medscape Cardiology
Posted 01/23/2003

J. Willis Hurst, MD

Until recently, physicians assumed that diastolic hypertension was more serious than systolic hypertension. I have been receptive to the changing view because one of my thinking colleagues pointed out to me some 30 years ago that elevated systolic blood pressure would seem to play more of a role in the development of left ventricular hypertrophy and stroke than high diastolic blood pressure. Now there is considerable evidence to support the concept that systolic hypertension is a good predictor of future cardiovascular disease.

In a recent issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, Benetos and colleagues[1] reported that the control of systolic blood pressure was more important than the control of diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive men. They further stated that diastolic blood pressure was of little value in predicting future cardiovascular risk.

In an editorial in the same issue, Prakash Deedwania[2] supported this viewpoint, but called for the development of better drugs to control the elevation of systolic blood pressure and an extensive educational program devoted to this shift of emphasis.



J. Willis Hurst, MD, Consultant of the Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine; Former Professor and Chairman, Department of Medicine 1957-1986

good luck
michelle

[jimgreg]

the bottom # is the most  important..unless ur top # is way to high,,than that would be a concern..or if  you have hypotension   then the systolic would be dropping at 20 points just standing would be enough to pass out......good luck my friend......james

[heart_of_mine]

I just read an article stating that in people over 50 doctors are now thinking that the systolic (top) number is more important. But this was only one study.