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What Causes Low Blood Pressure?
Question: what is considered low blood pressure and what causes it?
Brief Answer:
Systolic below 90mmHg
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
systolic blood pressure below 90mmHg is low. We would also characterize any level of blood pressure as low, if it caused low urine output or symptoms like faintness, ischemia etc.
Patients with hypertension or other cardiovascular conditions that receive treatment should have no less than 130mmHg unless they're treated for aneurysms (120mmHg should be the maximum systolic blood pressure in that case). Lower systolic blood pressures (SBP) may cause various problems and sometimes increase mortality and morbidity.
If your SBP is so low (79mmHg) then you need immediate medical attention to investigate the cause.
Common potential causes include:
- low intravascular volume (blood loss, fluid loss by diuretics, dehydration etc)
- adrenal insufficiency (autoimmune, iatrogenic, tumors etc)
- drugs (too many antihypertensives or taking antihypertensive medications in a higher dose by mistake)
- heart problems (a new acute coronary event or other heart-related problems that compromise cardiac output).
Other causes could be added to the list as well. I've presented the most common ones.
I hope I've helped!
If you'd like further information, please contact me again by using your follow-up questions.
Kind Regards!
Systolic below 90mmHg
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
systolic blood pressure below 90mmHg is low. We would also characterize any level of blood pressure as low, if it caused low urine output or symptoms like faintness, ischemia etc.
Patients with hypertension or other cardiovascular conditions that receive treatment should have no less than 130mmHg unless they're treated for aneurysms (120mmHg should be the maximum systolic blood pressure in that case). Lower systolic blood pressures (SBP) may cause various problems and sometimes increase mortality and morbidity.
If your SBP is so low (79mmHg) then you need immediate medical attention to investigate the cause.
Common potential causes include:
- low intravascular volume (blood loss, fluid loss by diuretics, dehydration etc)
- adrenal insufficiency (autoimmune, iatrogenic, tumors etc)
- drugs (too many antihypertensives or taking antihypertensive medications in a higher dose by mistake)
- heart problems (a new acute coronary event or other heart-related problems that compromise cardiac output).
Other causes could be added to the list as well. I've presented the most common ones.
I hope I've helped!
If you'd like further information, please contact me again by using your follow-up questions.
Kind Regards!
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Answered by
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