Blood pressure for longevity: how to measure and interpret it

# Blood pressure for longevity: how to measure and interpret it Blood pressure is one of the most important home values for longevity. It is affordable to measure, repeatable and adds context for cardiovascular health, sleep, stress, weight, nutrition and movement. For the report, systolic and diastolic blood pressure are most relevant. ## Short answer For LongLifeScan, use: - systolic blood pressure - diastolic blood pressure - ideally an average from repeated measurements - context: stress, sleep, medication, caffeine, training, alcohol A single reading is less useful than a 7-day home measurement series. 👉 [Start the free report](/en/reports/generate#free-report) ## What do systolic and diastolic mean? Systolic is the higher number. Diastolic is the lower number. Both should not be interpreted in isolation. ## How to measure well A simple routine: 1. sit quietly for 5 minutes 2. use an upper-arm cuff 3. keep arm at heart level 4. take two readings 1–2 minutes apart 5. measure morning and evening 6. track for 7 days 7. enter the average ## What can distort blood pressure? - coffee - exercise - stress - poor sleep - alcohol - full bladder - wrong cuff size - wrong arm position - acute illness - medication ## How does the report use blood pressure? Blood pressure is considered together with: - ApoB - LDL-C - HDL-C - triglycerides - HbA1c - weight/waist - sleep - steps - resting heart rate This makes the report more practical than an isolated number. ## Which device? A validated upper-arm blood pressure monitor is useful for most people. More: [Best blood pressure monitor for longevity](/en/best-blood-pressure-monitor-longevity) ## When to seek professional review Repeatedly unusual values, symptoms, medication, pregnancy, heart/kidney conditions or sudden changes should be reviewed professionally. ## Conclusion Blood pressure is one of the most useful values you can measure yourself. For LongLifeScan, it becomes especially valuable when you use a trend instead of one isolated value.