If you have ever sat in a GP surgery, looked at a printout showing two numbers separated by a slash, and thought "I'll just trust they know what they're doing" — you are not alone. Blood pressure readings are among the most commonly measured health indicators in older adults, and among the least well explained. At Vibrant Health Advocates Veritas, we hear this regularly from participants in our Forfar sessions: the numbers exist, but nobody has ever really walked through what they mean.
Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury, written as mmHg. The first number — the higher one, called systolic pressure — measures the force of blood against your artery walls when your heart beats. The second number — diastolic pressure — measures that force between beats, when your heart is resting. A reading of 120 over 80 (written 120/80 mmHg) has long been considered a healthy baseline for adults, though guidance for older adults is more nuanced than a single target figure suggests.
The two numbers at a glance
Pressure when your heart beats
Pressure between heartbeats
For adults over 65, NHS Scotland guidelines generally aim for a systolic reading below 150 mmHg, though many GPs will work toward lower targets depending on overall health, other conditions, and medication tolerance. A reading consistently above 140/90 is typically described as high blood pressure, or hypertension. Hypertension rarely causes obvious symptoms — headaches are not a reliable indicator — which is exactly why regular monitoring matters so much. Untreated high blood pressure significantly increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and kidney damage.
It is equally important to know that a single reading is rarely definitive. Blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day. It rises when you are anxious, when you have recently had caffeine, when you have been rushing, or simply when you are sitting in a clinical environment — a phenomenon so common it has its own name: white coat hypertension. Readings taken at home, at the same time each day, after five minutes of sitting quietly, give a much more representative picture. Many pharmacies in Angus also offer free blood pressure checks, and our Veritas sessions include periodic health information talks on exactly this subject.
"Readings taken at home, at the same time each day, after five minutes of sitting quietly, give a much more representative picture than a single clinical measurement."
Some medications commonly prescribed to older adults can affect blood pressure in both directions. Blood pressure drugs, diuretics, and certain heart medications are designed to lower readings, and knowing your target helps you understand whether they are working. Conversely, some anti-inflammatory painkillers, decongestants, and even liquorice in large quantities can raise blood pressure. If you have started a new medication and your readings change unexpectedly, that is worth raising with your GP or community pharmacist — they will not consider it a trivial question.
Lifestyle factors remain highly relevant even when medication is in play. Regular gentle movement — exactly the kind offered in our Monday Movers and Tuesday Stretch sessions — supports cardiovascular health and can reduce systolic blood pressure meaningfully over time. Reducing dietary salt, moderating alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight, and prioritising sleep all contribute. None of these require dramatic changes; modest, consistent adjustments compound over months into real differences in measured outcomes.
Finally, know the warning signs that warrant immediate attention: a sudden severe headache unlike any you have had before, blurred vision, chest pain, difficulty speaking, or weakness down one side of the body. These can indicate a hypertensive crisis or stroke and require calling 999 without delay. For everything short of that, your GP, pharmacist, and community resources like Veritas are here to help you understand and manage your readings calmly and confidently.
