Nov
20
2017
New Blood Pressure Guidelines
On Monday, November 13th, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology released new guidelines for high blood pressure. Hypertension is now defined as having blood pressure greater than or equal to 130/80 instead of the previous guideline of 140/90.
You can read the article here.
You can read the article here.
These new guidelines highlight the increasing evidence that having blood pressure under 130/80 is essential for minimizing risk of stroke and heart failure. Although more Americans are considered hypertensive under these new guidelines, only a small increase in prescribed antihypertensive medications is expected. Instead, these guidelines provide educational opportunities for health professionals to teach and emphasize the importance of lifestyle modifications (e.g. minimize processed, high sodium food intake, maintain healthy weight, exercise regularly) to manage blood pressure. If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, these new guidelines spur us to reach those with high blood pressure before it is too late.
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