What a Blood Pressure Reading of 144 Means for Your Heart Health

What Does It Mean If Your Blood Pressure Is 144?

Blood pressure readings have two numbers - the systolic pressure (top number) and diastolic pressure (bottom number). If your reading is 144, that refers to the systolic measurement specifically. But what does 144 mean when it comes to your heart health?

According to American Heart Association guidelines:

• A systolic pressure below 120 is considered normal blood pressure
• Systolic readings of 120-129 fall into the elevated range
• 130-139 is classified as stage 1 hypertension
• A reading of 140-159, like 144, indicates stage 2 hypertension

Stage 2 hypertension is considered more serious than stage 1 and requires prompt treatment to bring your blood pressure down. Let’s look closer at what this stage means and how a reading of 144 can impact your health.

Stage 2 Hypertension

The systolic reading refers to the pressure in your arteries when the heart beats and pushes blood through the circulatory system. The diastolic reading is the pressure between beats when the heart is at rest.

Doctors diagnose stage 2 hypertension when your systolic pressure is 140-159 mmHg and/or your diastolic is 90-99 mmHg. A reading of 144/92 would qualify as stage 2 hypertension, for example.

This indicates your blood pressure is consistently and significantly elevated, putting strain on your heart and blood vessels. Stage 2 often requires medication combined with lifestyle changes to bring your numbers down.

Risks of Untreated Stage 2 Hypertension

Leaving stage 2 hypertension untreated comes with considerable health risks including:

• Heart attack or heart failure
• Stroke
• Kidney damage or failure
• Vision loss
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
• Pulmonary edema
• Aneurysms

The force of blood pushing against weakened arteries progressively damages blood vessels, organs, and can lead to life-threatening emergencies over time. This makes prompt treatment imperative.

144 Reading and Heart Health

A reading of 144/90 indicates your systolic pressure sits right in the middle of the stage 2 hypertension range. The higher your systolic reaches within this range, the greater your health risks become.

A systolic pressure of 144mmHg means the force exerted on your arteries and heart is significantly above normal. Ongoing pressure at this level can:

• Strain the left ventricle, causing it to thicken and weaken over time
• Increase risk of artery tears or bulges (aneurysms)
• Cause small tears in blood vessels that allow plaque buildup
• Accelerate atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
• Damage blood vessels in organs like the kidneys, eyes, and brain

The longer 144/90 persists untreated, the higher your chances of a cardiac event or stroke become. Aggressively treating stage 2 hypertension reduces these risks and protects your cardiovascular health.

Treatment for Stage 2 Hypertension

Bringing stage 2 hypertension under control usually requires both medications and lifestyle changes. Typical treatment guidelines include:

• Medications like diuretics, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, calcium channel blockers or beta blockers
• Improved diet with nutrient-dense whole foods, limited sodium, more potassium-rich foods
• Increased physical activity with regular moderate exercise like brisk walking
• Weight loss if overweight, targeting a healthy BMI
• Stress reduction using techniques like meditation, yoga, massage
• Smoking cessation if needed
• Limiting alcohol to 1 drink or less per day

Your doctor will help determine the safest drug combinations and lifestyle changes based on your medical history and other health factors.

Ideal Blood Pressure Goals

The goal for stage 2 hypertension treatment is to reduce your blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg. But doctors may recommend a more aggressive target of 130/80 mmHg or lower if you have comorbidities like diabetes, kidney disease or heart disease.

Based on large clinical studies, achieving a sustained systolic pressure below 130 has been shown to significantly lower cardiac risk. So you may need to keep adjusting medications and lifestyle until your systolic reading stays around 120-130 mmHg.

Monitoring Your Blood Pressure

With stage 2 hypertension, home monitoring becomes very important for tracking your treatment progress. You’ll need to measure blood pressure daily to see how well medications and lifestyle changes are working.

Your doctor will want to see your readings consistently in the 120s or lower before scaling back on medication adjustments. Keep a log of your daily readings and symptoms to discuss at appointments. Ongoing monitoring also helps identify any concerning spikes in pressure.

In addition to arm cuff monitors, options like wrist monitors or continuous monitoring devices can provide greater insight into your blood pressure patterns and responses. Monitoring enables your doctor to prescribe the most effective treatment plan.

The Takeaway

A blood pressure reading of 144/90 indicates stage 2 hypertension. Without treatment, ongoing pressure this high can damage the heart, blood vessels and organs.

Reducing systolic pressure below 140, ideally down to 120-130, is crucial for lowering your risk of strokes, heart attack, and related complications. Treating stage 2 hypertension requires a combination of medications and heart-healthy lifestyle changes.

Work closely with your doctor and keep monitoring your numbers daily. Aim for a reading consistently around 120/80 mmHg or less to protect your cardiovascular health.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.