A diastolic blood pressure below 60 mmHg, when your systolic (top number) stays above 100, is considered isolated diastolic hypotension. This can cause dizziness, fatigue, and lightheadedness, and over time it may reduce blood flow to the heart muscle. Raising it involves a combination of dietary changes, physical activity, hydration strategies, and sometimes a medication review.
Why Low Diastolic Pressure Matters
Your diastolic number reflects the pressure in your arteries between heartbeats, during the brief pause when your heart refills with blood. This is also the window when your coronary arteries receive most of their blood supply. When diastolic pressure drops too low, the heart itself can be shortchanged on oxygen-rich blood.
Research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that a diastolic reading below 60 mmHg is independently linked to subclinical heart damage and a higher rate of coronary events. The risk is most pronounced when the systolic number remains at 120 or above, because the wide gap between the two numbers (called pulse pressure) signals that the arteries aren’t maintaining enough baseline tension to keep blood flowing steadily through the heart’s own vessels.
Check Your Medications First
Blood pressure medications are a common and overlooked cause of low diastolic readings. In people with chronic kidney disease, research from the American Heart Association found that adding more blood pressure drugs lowered the diastolic number by about 5 mmHg without meaningfully changing the systolic number, widening pulse pressure. Calcium channel blockers stood out in particular: users had a pulse pressure roughly 15 mmHg wider than nonusers, largely because the diastolic side dropped disproportionately.
If you take any blood pressure medication, especially a calcium channel blocker, and your diastolic readings are consistently below 60, bring this to your prescriber’s attention. A dose adjustment or switch to a different class of medication can sometimes resolve the problem without any other changes.
Increase Salt and Fluid Intake
For most people with low blood pressure, slightly increasing sodium intake helps the body hold onto more fluid, which raises blood volume and, in turn, diastolic pressure. The general population is advised to stay below about 2,300 mg of sodium per day, but people with orthostatic disorders (conditions where blood pressure drops upon standing) are routinely prescribed more than that amount.
A modest increase is the goal. Adding a pinch of salt to meals, choosing salted nuts or broth, or drinking an electrolyte beverage can nudge your levels up without the long-term cardiovascular risks that come with a very high sodium diet. Pair the extra salt with more water. Dehydration is one of the simplest causes of low diastolic pressure, and many people with readings below 60 are simply not drinking enough fluids throughout the day.
Use Exercise Strategically
Exercise affects blood pressure in both directions depending on the type and timing. Aerobic exercise like walking, cycling, or swimming tends to lower resting blood pressure over weeks. That’s beneficial for hypertension but can be counterproductive if your diastolic number is already too low. If you exercise regularly and notice your diastolic readings dropping, consider reducing the duration or intensity of your cardio sessions and monitoring the effect.
Resistance training, including weight lifting, temporarily raises blood pressure during the effort and can help maintain vascular tone over time. If your doctor has cleared you for strength training, incorporating it two to three times per week may help support your baseline diastolic pressure. Start with moderate loads and build gradually.
Compression of the lower body during exercise (wearing compression stockings, for example) can also prevent blood from pooling in your legs, which helps maintain pressure throughout your circulatory system.
Daily Habits That Support Diastolic Pressure
Several small behavioral changes can collectively make a noticeable difference:
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Large meals divert blood to the digestive system and can temporarily lower blood pressure. Smaller portions reduce this effect.
- Limit alcohol. Alcohol dilates blood vessels and lowers blood pressure, sometimes significantly. Even moderate drinking can worsen diastolic hypotension.
- Wear compression stockings. Thigh-high or waist-high compression garments prevent blood from pooling in the lower body, effectively increasing the volume of blood returning to your heart.
- Change positions slowly. Standing up quickly is when low diastolic pressure is most likely to cause symptoms. Rise in stages: sit on the edge of the bed, pause, then stand.
- Elevate the head of your bed. Sleeping with your head slightly raised (about 10 to 15 degrees) helps your body maintain better blood pressure regulation overnight and upon waking.
- Increase caffeine carefully. A cup of coffee or tea constricts blood vessels and temporarily raises blood pressure. This can be useful in the morning when diastolic pressure tends to be lowest, though the effect fades within a few hours.
When Lifestyle Changes Aren’t Enough
The American Heart Association notes that lifestyle modifications typically need about six months to produce measurable, stable changes in blood pressure. If your diastolic readings remain below 60 after consistent effort with diet, fluids, and activity adjustments, medication may be appropriate.
The most commonly prescribed medication for chronic low blood pressure works by tightening blood vessels, which directly raises both systolic and diastolic numbers. It’s typically taken three times a day and started at a low dose, then gradually increased based on your response. A second option works by helping your kidneys retain sodium and water, expanding blood volume. Both require monitoring because overcorrection can push blood pressure too high, especially when you’re lying down.
What “Normal” Diastolic Pressure Looks Like
The 2025 AHA/ACC guidelines classify normal blood pressure as below 120/80 mmHg. There’s no official lower cutoff in the guidelines, but the clinical research consistently points to 60 mmHg as the threshold below which diastolic pressure starts causing problems. Your target zone is roughly 60 to 80 mmHg for the bottom number.
If your diastolic pressure sits in the low 60s and you feel fine, there may be nothing to fix. The urgency increases when readings drop into the 50s, when you have existing heart disease, or when you experience symptoms like chronic dizziness, blurred vision, or fainting. Track your readings at different times of day, since diastolic pressure naturally fluctuates, and bring a log to your next appointment so your provider can see the full picture rather than a single snapshot.