what should diastolic blood pressure be

The diastolic blood pressure, which is the second number in a blood pressure reading, indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls while the heart muscle is resting between contractions. According to the American Heart Association, a normal diastolic blood pressure is considered to be less than 80 mm Hg. Elevated blood pressure is when the diastolic reading consistently ranges from 80-89 mm Hg, and high blood pressure (hypertension) stage 1 is when the diastolic pressure consistently ranges from 80 to 89 mm Hg. Its important to keep track of both the systolic and diastolic numbers, as either number can be an indicator of high blood pressure if persistently elevated. For most adults, normal blood pressure is defined as a diastolic pressure of less than 80 mm Hg. Therefore, a healthy diastolic blood pressure should be less than 80 mm Hg.