Study Urges Lower Blood Pressure Guidelines /WiREDInternational.org

ntensive blood pressure management may save lives, according to a federal clinical trial that was ended early

A lower blood pressure target greatly reduces cardiovascular complications and deaths in older adults, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). “This study provides potentially lifesaving information that will be useful to health care providers as they consider the best treatment options for some of their patients, particularly those over the age of 50,” said Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., NHLBI director.

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. High blood pressure, sometimes called hypertension, happens when this force is too great.

High blood pressure is a serious condition that can lead to coronary heart/artery disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure and other health problems such as vision changes.

What can you do to reduce your risk of
high blood pressure?

There are several things that you can do to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range:

Get your blood pressure checked regularly.
Eat a healthy diet.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Be physically active.
Limit alcohol use.
Don’t smoke.
Prevent or treat diabetes.

Source: CDC

Blood pressure cuffs measure a person’s systolic pressure (when the heart beats — pumps blood) and diastolic pressure (when the heart rests between beats). A normal blood pressure for adults is defined as a systolic pressure below 120 mmHg and a diastolic pressure below 80 mmHg or 120/80.

How low should blood pressure numbers go? It was once thought that as people age, it was natural for blood pressure numbers to creep up, and that somewhat higher blood pressure helped push blood to the brain. But the recent NHLBI study now calls for a systolic target number of 120, which is much lower than the current guideline of 140 to 150 for people over 50 years of age.

High blood pressure constitutes a world health crisis. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that globally about 22% of adults ages 18 and above have high blood pressure — more than a billion people.

WiRED’s hypertension module specifically targets general audiences and contains information about the definition, causes, risk factors and high blood pressure numbers. (See earlier story on hypertension.) The module also discusses ways people can lower their blood pressure numbers.