Blood Pressure Levels for Adults

Category Systolic Diastolic Result

(mmHg) (mmHg)
Normal Less than 120 and Less than 80 Great!
Prehypertension 120139 or 8089 It is time to make changes in
diet and exercise habits. If
you are overweight, losing
weight will help reduce
blood pressure.
Hypertension 140 or higher or 90 or higher If your blood pressure is this
level or higher during three
visits to a doctor, you will be
diagnosed with hypertension.
Ask your doctor or nurse how
to control it.
The DASH diet eating plan
What is high blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the force of blood against artery walls. It is measured in millimeters of
mercury (mmHg) and recorded as two numberssystolic pressure (as the heart beats)
over diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats). Both numbers are important.
Pennington Nutrition Series
Healthier lives through education in nutrition and preventive medicine
Research has found that diet affects the development of high blood pressure, or hyper-
tension. The average level of sodium consumed by Americans is 3,300 milligrams a
day. The upper limit currently recommended by the National High
Blood Pressure Education Program is 2,400 milligrams a day.
Blood pressure can be lowered by following a particular eating
plancalled the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension
(DASH) eating planand reducing the amount of sodium con-
sumed between 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams a day. The DASH
study was sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute (NHLBI) and conducted at four medical centers: Brigham
and Womens Hospital, Boston, MA; Duke University Medical
Center, Durham, NC; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD;
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State Univer-
sity, Baton Rouge, LA.
The DASH eating plan is rich in lower-calorie foods such as fruits and vegetables. You can
reduce calories by substituting fruits and vegetables for higher-calorie foods.
The DASH eating plan
To increase fruits
Eat fruits in place of cookies and
candy for snacks. Youll save 80
calories.
Eat dried fruits instead of pork
rinds or chips. Youll save 230
calories.
To increase vegetables
Choose a small hamburger with 3
ounces of meat instead of 6
ounces. Choose carrot sticks on
the side. Youll save more than 200
calories.
Bring cut-up vegetables to have
with a sandwich at lunch instead of
chips. Youll save about 120 calo-
ries.
Choose another side vegetable
rather than a starchy dish. You can
save up to 200 calories.
To increase lowfat or fat-free
dairy products
Have a cup of lowfat frozen
yogurt instead of chocolate, pie or
frosted cake. You can save 100
calories.
Choose nonfat fruit yogurt at
snack time instead of donuts or
candy bars. You can save about
100 calories.
Include milk and lowfat cheese in
casseroles.
To save calories
Use lowfat or fat-free condiments, espe-
cially mayonnaise.
Reduce oil and margarine in recipes by
half, and order salad dressings on the side.
Eat smaller portions and eat slowly. Limit
meat to 6 ounces a day. That is all you
need.
Choose lowfat and fat-free dairy products.
Check food labels to compare fat content
of packaged foods.
Limit intake of foods with added sugar,
such as pies, candy bars, ice cream, regu-
lar soft drinks and fruit drinks.
Drink water or club soda.
Choose fruits and vegetables instead of
salty snack foods.
Use lower-fat methods of preparing foods
such as broiling, baking and grilling.
Limit your meals at quick service restau-
rants. They tend to be high in fat and so-
dium and low in fruits and vegetables.
fruits
vegetables
dairy
calories
The DASH Eating Plan
Food Group Daily Serving Servings Sizes Examples and Notes Role
The DASH eating plan shown below is based on 1,800 calories a
day. The number of daily servings in a food group may vary from
those listed, depending on your caloric needs. Use this chart to help
you plan your menus or take it with you when you go to the store.
Grains and
Grain
Products
7-8 1 slice bread
1 oz dry cereal
cup cooked rice,
pasta or cereal
Whole-wheat bread, English
muffin, pita bread, bagel, cereals,
grits, oatmeal, crackers, unsalted
pretzels and popcorn
Major sources of
energy and fiber
Tomatoes, potatoes, carrots,
green peas, squash, broccoli,
turnip greens, collards, kale,
spinach, artichokes, green
beans, lima beans, sweet pota-
toes
Apricots, bananas, dates, grapes,
oranges, orange juice, grapefruit,
grapefruit juice, mangoes,
melons, peaches, pineapples,
prunes, raisins, strawberries,
tangerines
Fat-free (skim) or lowfat (1%)
milk, fat-free or lowfat buttermilk,
fat-free or lowfat regular or frozen
yogurt, lowfat and fat-free cheese
Select only lean; trim away
visible fats; broil, roast or boil
instead of frying; remove skin
from poultry
Almonds, filberts, mixed nuts,
peanuts, walnuts, sunflower
seeds, kidney beans, lentils
Soft margarine, lowfat mayon-
naise, light salad dressing,
vegetable oil such as olive,
corn, canola or safflower
Maple syrup, sugar, jelly, jam,
fruit-flavored gelatin, jelly beans,
hard candy, fruit punch, sorbet,
ices
Rich sources of
potassium,
magnesium
and fiber
Important
sources of
potassium,
magnesium and
fiber
Major
sources of
calcium and
protein
Rich sources of
protein and
magnesium
Rich sources of
energy, magne-
sium, potassium,
protein and fiber
DASH has 27%
of calories as fat,
including fat in
added foods
Sweets should
be low in fat
Vegetables
Fruits
Lowfat or fat-
free dairy foods
Meats, poultry
and fish
Nuts, seeds
and dry beans
Fats and Oils
Sweets
4
4
2-3
2 or less
2-3 per
week
2-3
5 per week
1 cup raw leafy
vegetable
cup cooked
vegetable
6 oz vegetable juice
6 oz fruit juice
1 medium fruit
cup dried fruit
cup fresh, frozen
or canned fruit
8 oz milk
1 cup yogurt
1 oz cheese
3 oz cooked
meats, poultry or
fish
cup or 1 oz nuts
2 Tbsp or oz seeds
cup cooked dry
beans and peas
1 tsp soft margarine
1 Tbsp lowfat
mayonnaise
2 Tbsp light salad
dressing
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp jelly or jam
oz jelly beans
8 oz lemonade
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
William B. Richardson, Chancellor
Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station
David J. Boethel, Vice Chancellor and Director
Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service
Paul D. Coreil, Vice Chancellor and Director
Pub. 2899 (10M) 6/04
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of
Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the
United States Department of Agriculture. The Louisiana Cooperative
Extension Service provides equal opportunities in programs and
employment.
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is a
world-renowned nutrition research center.
Mission:
To promote healthier lives through research
and education in nutrition and preventive
medicine.
The Pennington Center has five priorities in research:
1. Clinical Obesity Research
2. Experimental Obesity
3. Functional Foods
4. Health and Performance Enhancement
5. Nutrition and Chronic Diseases
The research fostered by these divisions can have a
profound impact on healthy living and on prevention of
common chronic diseases, such as heart disease,
cancer, diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis.
The Division of Education provides education and
information to the scientific community and the public
about research findings, training programs and
research areas, as well as providing educational
events for the public on various health issues.
We invite people of all ages and backgrounds to
participate in the exciting research studies being
conducted at the Pennington Center in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana. If you would like to take part, visit the
clinical trials web page at www.pbrc.edu or call (225)
763-2597.
References:
The DASH diet for hypertension: Lower your blood pressure in 14 days Without Drugs by Thomas Moore,
Laura Svetkey, Pao-Hwa Lin, Njeri Karanja, and Mark Jenkins. The Free Press: New York, 2001.
Appel LJ, Champagne CM, Harsha DW, Cooper LS, Obarzanek E, Elmer PJ, Stevens VJ, Vollmer WM, Lin PH,
Svetkey LP, Stedman SW, Young DR; Writing Group of the PREMIER Collaborative Research Group. Effects of
comprehensive lifestyle modification on blood pressure control: main results of the PREMIER clinical trial.
JAMA. 2003 Apr 23-30;289(16):2083-93.
Windhauser MM; Ernst DB; Karanja NM; Crawford SW; Redican SE; Swain JF; Karimbakas JM; Champagne
CM; Hoben KP; Evans MA. Translating the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet from research to
practice: dietary and behavior change techniques. DASH Collaborative Research Group. J Am Diet Assoc
1999 Aug; 99 (8 Suppl), pp. S90-5.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood
Institute. Your guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure. NIH Publication No. 03-5232, May 2003.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood
Institute. Facts About the DASH Eating Plan. NIH Publication No. 03-4082, Revised May 2003.
Visit our Web site: www.pbrc.edu Visit our Web site:
www.lsuagcenter.com