Health experts feel that if you are over 50 then you only need to keep track of your systolic reading to monitor your blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure is the top number of the reading. This is the reading of the pressure exerted at the beginning of the hearts pumping cycle. Diastolic pressure on the other hand is the lower reading which is a record of the lowest pressure during the hearts resting cycle.

Though both the pressures are routinely taken, doctors feel that after the age of 50 years only the systolic pressure needs to be monitored. The reason is that firstly, they feel patients get confused with two readings and secondly patients tend to focus more on the diastolic pressure and not enough on the systolic readings.

Experts in the US have been pushing for such a change for a while now. The reason is that generally systolic pressure increases with age while the diastolic pressure decreases. This is also the time when cardiovascular risks begin to rise. The rising systolic readings after the age of 50 are a good indicator to chances of strokes and heart disease.

Doctors also feel that tracking the blood pressure through childhood can also predict chances of hypertension in later years. This not only helps as an early indication but also helps in timely action and preventive measures being taken.