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What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is created by the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as it circulates and the force of the arteries as they resist the blood flow.
A blood pressure reading has two numbers:
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The first number—systolic pressure—is the pressure of the blood flow as your heart beats and pushes blood throughout your body.
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The second number—diastolic pressure—is the pressure between heartbeats, as your heart rests and refills with blood.
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What is high blood pressure?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is defined as blood pressure that is consistently 140/90 mmHg or higher. At this level, the pressure inside the arteries is too strong and may be causing damage to arteries throughout the body—and significantly increases the risk of damage to your heart, kidneys and eyes.
What is normal blood pressure?
Normal blood pressure is defined as below 120/80 mmHg.
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BOTTOM LINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS:
Your blood pressure needs to be below 140/90 mmHg to pass your CDL exam and maintain good health |
Blood pressure between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg is considered prehypertension.
Prehypertension is a condition that puts you at greater risk of developing high blood pressure. If you have prehypertension, you should consider making healthier lifestyle changes. |
These categories are different than those outlined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in their guidelines to maintain your CDL. New categories were created and defined in The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC7) based on new data on the lifetime risk of high blood pressure and its associated risk of cardiovascular complications. While the categories might be different, the goal is the same—to maintain a blood pressure at or below 140/90 mmHg.
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CATEGORY |
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SYSTOLIC
(mmHg)
Top Number |
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DIASTOLIC
(mmHg)
Bottom
Number |
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BLOOD
PRESSURE
READINGS |
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Normal |
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Below 120 |
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and |
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Below 80 |
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Below 120/80 |
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Prehypertension |
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120-139 |
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or |
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80-89 |
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120/80-139/89 |
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Stage 1
Hypertension
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140-159 |
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or |
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90-99 |
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140/90-159/99 |
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Stage 2
Hypertension
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160 or higher |
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or |
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100 or higher |
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160/100 |
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Talk with your doctor about the special blood pressure requirements you have as a driver. Always consult your doctor for treatment recommendations.
Click here to read more about the specific blood pressure requirements for CDL certification or recertification.
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