Diastolic Blood Pressure: Function, Tasks, Role & Diseases

The medical term blood pressure refers to the pressure that the blood exerts on the blood vessels. However, the pressure conditions are by no means identical in all areas of the bloodstream. Where the blood flows towards the heart is the low pressure area. In the arterial part, where the blood is pumped into the body, is the high pressure area. During normal measurement, which is routinely performed, two meaningful values are always determined. A distinction is made between systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

What is diastolic blood pressure?

The systolic value is produced by the contraction of the muscles in the left ventricle of the heart. Blood is then pumped impulsively into the aorta. Blood flow to the coronary arteries comes to a near stop for a split second. The blood pressure in the vessels rises sharply for a short time. The maximum pressure reached at this point is the upper value. This is always the first value to be measured. The normal range is 120 mmHg. and it is always significantly higher than the diastolic blood pressure. Only when the heart muscle relaxes does the blood flow get going again properly. Now the phase of diastole sets in. During this phase, the ventricle fills up again with blood from the atria. The coronary arteries are supplied. The pressure on the vessel walls decreases during this process. This lowest value is called the diastolic blood pressure, or residual pressure. The normal range here is 80 to 89 mmHg. (Unit of measurement: millimeters of mercury column).

Function and task

An important function of diastole is not only that during this phase the heart is filled with blood, but also that after the blood is expelled, there is a supply of blood to the coronary or coronary arteries. Diastole alternates regularly with systole. The diastolic pressure must not be permanently elevated, otherwise there will be a negative effect on the coronary heart system. It provides information about how well or poorly the coronary vessels are supplied. The diastolic pressure is very important in different areas. Especially in younger people, an elevated value must be taken into account. It provides a reliable indication of whether there is a risk of high blood pressure, because it often begins at a young age with a unilateral increase in the lower value. With higher age, however, the diastolic blood pressure must not be neglected just as much. Especially in people with coronary heart disease, i.e. damage to the blood vessels, this value is of great importance. The reason for this is that in the low-pressure phase, the vessels must be particularly well supplied with blood. Irregularities here can bring great dangers. For example, if the diastolic pressure is too high, the risk of a dangerous bulge in the aorta can increase. The ratio of the upper and lower blood pressure values can also be important. The greater the difference between the systolic and diastolic values, the more dangerous the health consequences. Too much difference in pressure puts additional stress on the vessels, and the risk of developing chronic heart failure increases.

Diseases and ailments

What is certain is that both a permanently elevated diastolic blood pressure and an excessively high systolic value can lead to hardening and damage of the arteries. These changes impede blood flow and, in the worst case, end in a heart attack. High blood pressure is a widespread disease that is decisively promoted by unhealthy living conditions, obesity, stress, too little exercise and many other factors. A genetic predisposition may also be present. High blood pressure contributes significantly to the development of cardiovascular diseases. In contrast to low blood pressure, which is unpleasant but hardly dangerous, high blood pressure quickly causes unpleasant symptoms. Dizziness and exhaustion can occur, concentration decreases and the vessels are permanently overloaded. Other unclear complaints can be visual disturbances and headaches, which occur mainly in the morning. If one is short of breath after exertion or even gets cardiac arrhythmia, this is a sign that the body is not sufficiently supplied with oxygen and blood. All these symptoms can be triggered by high blood pressure. If the elevated diastolic values are not treated, arteriosclerosis develops and the vessel walls thicken.Reducing the diameter of the blood vessels decreases the blood volume. This can lead to various health problems. Among other things, water excretion by the kidneys is reduced. A permanent increase can also damage the vessels in the eyes and brain. If the coronary vessels are affected, there may be tightness in the chest, which should be considered an alarm sign in any case. In general, when measuring blood pressure, the diastolic value should not exceed 90 mmHg. Medically and scientifically, both blood pressure values are considered to be of equal importance. In most patients diagnosed with hypertension, both values are elevated. Treatment is inevitable. If only the lower value is above the normal range, another underlying disease may be the cause.