A patient has systolic 132 mmHg and diastolic 82 mmHg. Do they meet the metabolic syndrome blood pressure criterion?

• A. No, because their diastolic is not ≥85 mmHg and they are not on antihypertensives.
• B. Yes, because the systolic value is ≥130 mmHg.
• C. Yes, because the diastolic value is ≥85 mmHg.
• D. No, because both thresholds must be met.

Answer: (B)

Understanding this question hinges on how metabolic syndrome defines the blood pressure criterion. You don’t need both numbers to be high—you just need one of them to meet its threshold, or the patient to be on hypertension treatment. Specifically, a systolic blood pressure of at least 130 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure of at least 85 mmHg counts, and being on antihypertensive meds also satisfies the criterion.

Here, the patient’s systolic reading is 132 mmHg, which meets the threshold (132 ≥ 130), even though the diastolic is 82 mmHg. That’s why the blood pressure component is met. The diastolic value alone does not meet the criterion, but it doesn’t matter because meeting it with systolic pressure is enough.

The other statements would require the diastolic to be 85 or higher, or would demand both thresholds to be met, or would ignore the possibility of meeting the criterion via systolic pressure, which is why they’re not correct.