What action should be taken when systolic and diastolic pressures fall into different categories?

When systolic and diastolic pressures fall into different categories, utilizing the higher category is considered the appropriate action. This practice aligns with the idea that blood pressure readings are more significant when assessing potential health risks. Systolic pressure reflects the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats, while diastolic pressure measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart is resting between beats.

In cases where the readings fall into different categories, such as normal for one and elevated for the other, the higher category indicates that there may be an increased risk of cardiovascular events or other health issues. Therefore, prioritizing the higher category provides a more conservative and health-conscious approach, prompting the need for further evaluation or intervention if necessary.

The other choices suggest less effective approaches to handling conflicting blood pressure readings. For instance, using the lower category could underestimate the person's health state, while disregarding the readings entirely eliminates valuable information regarding their blood pressure status. Averaging the two readings might not accurately reflect the individual's risk because it could blur the distinct implications of systolic and diastolic values. Thus, relying on the higher category captures the heightened risk associated with blood pressure that crosses into an unhealthy range.