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What the two blood pressure numbers mean (and the pulse)
A reading like 128/82, pulse 70 is three different measurements. Knowing what each one is makes the whole thing less mysterious.
The top number: systolic
The pressure in your arteries at the moment your heart beats and pushes blood out. It is the higher of the two and the one that moves most with effort, stress or a bad night.
The bottom number: diastolic
The pressure that stays between beats, while the heart refills. It is the lower number and tends to move less.
The pulse is not blood pressure
Beats per minute. Most monitors show it next to the reading, but it is a different thing: you can have a normal pulse with a high pressure, and the other way round. Keep it in your log anyway, because your doctor reads them together.
Why a log keeps all three plus the time
The same three numbers tell a different story at seven in the morning than after dinner, and different again before or after your medicine. Without the time and the note, a list of numbers says much less.
Questions
What does mmHg mean?
Millimetres of mercury, the unit blood pressure is measured in, from the old mercury column instruments.
My top number is fine but the bottom one is high. Does that count?
The categories use whichever number falls in the higher band, so yes, it counts. What it means for you is for your doctor.
Should I write down the pulse too?
Yes. It costs nothing, it comes on the same screen, and it is part of the picture your doctor reads.
Sistola is a record-keeping app. It is not a medical device, it does not measure blood pressure and it does not diagnose or treat any condition. Always consult your doctor.