Your Blood Pressure Reading Has a Hidden Number — and Here’s Why It Matters

Most people know blood pressure as two numbers: the top number and the bottom number. But those two figures also create a third number that many people never calculate, even though doctors increasingly see it as a useful clue about heart, blood vessel and brain health.

That hidden figure is called pulse pressure. It is not a replacement for standard blood pressure readings, and it should not be used for self-diagnosis, but new research reported by NBC News highlights why this simple subtraction may deserve more attention, especially as people get older.