Is 150 Over 90 a Good Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure readings can be done with a sphygmomanometer:

• Manual sphygmomanometer: A cuff is tied to the arm and inflated. The fall of mercury in the device is observed manually using a stethoscope.
• Digital sphygmomanometer: The machine digitally provides a blood pressure reading within a minute.

A blood pressure reading is given in two parts:

• Systolic pressure: This is the pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the arteries when the heart contracts (systole).
• Diastolic pressure: This is the pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the arteries when the heart relaxes (diastole).

So in a blood pressure reading of 120/80 mmHg, 120 is systolic and 80 is diastolic pressure.

Complications of hypertension include:

• Heart failure: Increased strain on the heart as it tries to pump blood into the system can lead to heart failure.
• Aneurysm: Damage to the blood vessels due to increased pressure can result in formation of a protrusion called an aneurysm. If ruptured, it can be fatal.
• Stroke: Thickened blood vessels can cause a decreased blood supply to the brain. Strokes occur when blood vessels in the brain rupture due to persistently high blood pressure.
• Kidney failure: Decreased blood supply to the kidney tissues can cause damage to the kidneys and eventually lead to kidney failure.
• Dementia: Hypoxic damage (due to reduced oxygen supply) to the brain tissue can lead to memory loss and brain damage.

Mild cases of high blood pressure are primarily managed with lifestyle modifications, such as

• regular exercise and
• a diet that is low in salt and high in fiber and potassium.

However, very high blood pressure may require medications such as:

• Beta-blockers - By blocking the effect of norepinephrine and epinephrine, beta blockers reduce blood pressure by dilating blood vessels and heart rate.
• Diuretics - Diuretics are among the oldest known medications for treating high blood pressure. 
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors - ACE inhibitors are blood pressure medications that inhibit the activity of the enzyme angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), which is important for controlling blood pressure.
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers - Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are medications used to treat elevated blood pressure or hypertension.
• Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) - CCBs inhibit the movement of calcium into muscle cells. The reduction in calcium reduces the force of the heart's muscular pumping action (cardiac contraction) and thereby reduces blood pressure.