Diastolic blood pressure can change rapidly due to factors such as stress, posture, and exercise, while family history, lifestyle, and overall health can cause long-term changes. Smoking has a negative impact in both the short and long term. Multiple measurements may be necessary to accurately determine a person’s diastolic blood pressure level.
Diastolic blood pressure, the resting force of blood within blood vessels represented by the bottom number of a pressure reading, can rise or fall depending on a number of factors. The changes can be rapid and temporary, or the number can have a general increase or decrease over time. Some factors that can affect diastolic blood pressure levels in the short term include stress, changes in posture and exercise. Factors that can cause a long-term change are family history, diet and lifestyle, and the person’s overall health. One factor that has a significant negative impact in both the short and long term is smoking.
A number of things can cause diastolic blood pressure to change quite quickly, so taking several measurements may be the best way to get a true idea of its level in a particular person. Blood pressure levels normally change during the day, usually falling at night and rising in the morning. Someone who feels high levels of stress or anxiety and is very tense may find that their diastolic blood pressure is higher than usual. A person who has just exercised and then had their blood pressure taken may find that it is different from normal. A change in posture, such as going from lying down to standing, can also cause it to change rapidly.
Certain factors can also cause diastolic blood pressure levels to go up or down more permanently. Family history is often a strong predictor of blood pressure levels, as people with close relatives who have high or low blood pressure often tend to have similar levels. Lifestyle can also play an important role; for example, those who eat an unhealthy diet or are overweight or obese may tend to have higher levels, while those who exercise regularly often have lower levels. Overall health can also play a role, particularly if patients have certain problems such as heart disease or need to take medications that affect blood pressure.
Smoking is a behavior that can have a lot to do with your diastolic blood pressure levels, both in the short and long term. Immediately after smoking, the resulting nicotine in the blood can cause a rapid increase in pressure. In the long term, smokers may also be at increased risk for hypertension, with overall increases in both diastolic and systolic blood pressure.
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