Isolated Systolic High Blood Pressure

Overview

In isolated systolic high blood pressure (isolated systolic hypertension, or ISH), systolic blood pressure is elevated, but diastolic blood pressure is normal. This type of high blood pressure is more common in older adults, especially older women.

High blood pressure increases your risk for stroke and heart disease. How much it increases your risk depends on how high your blood pressure is.

Your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes to lower your blood pressure. Lifestyle changes include:

• Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. And eat less saturated fat, such as milk, cheese, and meat.
• Limiting sodium to less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day.
• Limiting alcohol. That means no more than 2 drinks a day for men or 1 drink a day for women.
• Staying at a weight that's healthy for you.
• Being as active as you can every day. For many people, walking is a good choice.
• Quitting smoking or vaping.

Depending on how high your blood pressure is and your overall risk for a heart attack or stroke, your doctor may talk to you about taking medicines to help lower blood pressure more. Medicines include:

• Diuretics.
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs).
• Beta-blockers.
• Calcium channel blockers.