Raising a low diastolic blood pressure typically involves a combination of hydration strategies, dietary changes, and sometimes medication. Diastolic pressure below 60 mm Hg with a normal systolic reading (above 100 mm Hg) is classified as isolated diastolic hypotension, and when it drops below 50 mm Hg, the risks become serious. The approach that works best depends on what’s causing the low reading in the first place.
Why Low Diastolic Pressure Matters
Your diastolic number reflects the pressure in your arteries between heartbeats, which is when your heart muscle receives most of its own blood supply. When diastolic pressure drops too low, the heart may not get enough oxygen-rich blood during that resting phase. This can promote damage to the heart muscle over time, even without obvious symptoms.
The stakes are real. Research from the American Heart Association found that patients with diastolic pressure below 50 mm Hg had significantly higher mortality rates: 2.5% at 30 days compared to 0.7% for those with higher readings, and 29% over roughly 3.6 years compared to 11%. That low diastolic reading was an independent predictor of death regardless of other risk factors. The risk is especially pronounced in people who already have narrowed coronary arteries, where even a modest drop in perfusion pressure can starve the heart of oxygen.
Drink More Water, Strategically
One of the simplest and fastest ways to raise blood pressure is drinking water in a deliberate way. Research published in Circulation found that drinking about 480 mL (roughly 16 ounces, or two standard glasses) of water produces a measurable increase in blood pressure within 5 minutes, peaks around 30 to 35 minutes later, and lasts over an hour. In healthy older adults, systolic pressure rose by an average of 11 mm Hg. Drinking a full 16 ounces produced a larger effect than drinking 8 ounces.
This isn’t a permanent fix, but it’s a practical tool. If your diastolic pressure tends to dip at certain times of day, timing your water intake about 30 minutes before those vulnerable periods can help. Consistent hydration throughout the day, rather than sipping small amounts, gives your body the fluid volume it needs to maintain adequate pressure in the arteries.
Increase Your Salt Intake
For most people, the standard advice is to limit sodium. But if you have low diastolic pressure, your doctor may actually recommend increasing it. Sodium helps your body retain water, which expands blood volume and raises pressure. Adding salt to meals, eating salty snacks, or drinking electrolyte beverages can all contribute. The amount that helps varies from person to person, so this is worth discussing with a healthcare provider who knows your full health picture, particularly if you have kidney disease or heart failure.
Check Your Medications
Several common medications can pull diastolic pressure down disproportionately. Research in patients with chronic kidney disease found that calcium channel blockers, a widely prescribed class of blood pressure medication, were particularly likely to widen the gap between systolic and diastolic readings. Users of these drugs saw a pulse pressure increase of 15 mm Hg compared to just 6 mm Hg in nonusers, meaning the diastolic number was dropping more relative to systolic.
Other culprits include alpha-blockers (often prescribed for prostate enlargement), certain antidepressants, and drugs for Parkinson’s disease. If you’re on any blood pressure medication and your diastolic reading is consistently below 60, the dose or drug class may need adjusting. Don’t stop or change medications on your own, but bring the specific readings to your provider.
Body Position and Compression Garments
If low diastolic pressure causes lightheadedness when you stand, a few physical strategies can help in the moment. Crossing your legs while standing, tensing your thigh muscles, or squatting briefly all push blood back toward your core and raise pressure temporarily. Sleeping with the head of your bed elevated a few inches (using blocks under the bed frame, not extra pillows) can also reduce the dramatic pressure drop that happens when you stand up in the morning.
Compression stockings are frequently recommended for low blood pressure, though the evidence is mixed. One study measuring blood pressure in women wearing compression stockings found no significant change in diastolic pressure or heart rate in either a supine or standing position. They may still help with symptoms like dizziness by preventing blood from pooling in the legs, but they’re unlikely to move your diastolic number meaningfully on their own. Waist-high compression garments tend to be more effective than knee-high stockings because they cover a larger volume of veins.
Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals
Blood pressure naturally drops after eating because your body diverts blood flow to the digestive system. Large meals amplify this effect. If your diastolic pressure is already low, a big lunch can push it into symptomatic territory, causing fatigue or dizziness an hour or two later. Eating smaller portions more frequently, and limiting refined carbohydrates (which tend to cause the largest postmeal pressure drops), keeps your blood pressure more stable throughout the day.
Exercise With the Right Approach
Regular aerobic exercise generally improves blood pressure regulation over time by making blood vessels more responsive and improving heart efficiency. However, the type of exercise matters. Isometric exercises, like handgrip training, have been studied extensively for blood pressure effects. In one trial, participants squeezed a handgrip device at 30% of their maximum strength for 2-minute intervals, four times per session, three days a week for eight weeks. The result was actually a reduction in diastolic pressure by about 3.4 mm Hg on average.
That finding is important to understand: isometric exercise tends to lower blood pressure, not raise it. If your goal is to increase diastolic pressure, steady-state aerobic exercise (walking, cycling, swimming) is a better choice. It improves your body’s ability to regulate blood pressure without pushing diastolic readings lower. Avoid standing still for long periods during workouts, and stay well hydrated before, during, and after exercise.
When Lifestyle Changes Aren’t Enough
If hydration, salt, and behavioral adjustments don’t bring your diastolic pressure into a safe range, medication becomes an option. The most commonly prescribed drug for raising blood pressure works by activating receptors on blood vessel walls, causing them to tighten and increasing vascular tone. It’s typically taken three times daily during waking hours (not at bedtime, to avoid dangerously high pressure while lying down). Some people start at a lower dose, particularly if they have kidney problems, since the drug is cleared through the kidneys.
Another medication option works by helping your body retain sodium and water, effectively expanding blood volume. Both approaches address different aspects of what keeps diastolic pressure adequate: vessel tone and fluid volume. Your provider may try one or both depending on the underlying cause.
Identifying the Underlying Cause
Low diastolic pressure isn’t a diagnosis on its own. It’s a signal that something is affecting your vascular system. In younger people, dehydration, prolonged bed rest, or nutritional deficiencies (particularly iron or B12) are common contributors. In older adults, arterial stiffening is often the primary driver: as arteries lose elasticity, systolic pressure rises while diastolic drops, widening the pulse pressure gap. Endocrine disorders like adrenal insufficiency, heart valve problems, and autonomic nervous system dysfunction can also be responsible.
Treating the root cause, when one can be identified, is more effective than trying to push the number up through general measures alone. If your diastolic pressure has been trending downward or sits consistently below 60 mm Hg, tracking your readings at different times of day and bringing that log to your provider gives them the clearest picture of what’s happening and how aggressively to intervene.