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The guidelines for what is considered “high blood pressure” have been revised, a development that will categorize many more adults in the US as hypertensive. Leading heart health experts made this change in order to motivate adults and doctors to better treat and prevent this serious health condition.
The American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and nine other groups have redefined what is considered high blood pressure: 130 over 80 instead of the former 140 over 90. The former figure has been standard for 14 years. (Normal blood pressure remains less than 120 over 80).
Robert M. Carey, co-chairman of the group that authored the new report, stated, “We're recognizing that blood pressures that we in the past thought were normal or so-called pre-hypertensive actually placed the patient at significant risk for heart disease and death and disability.”
The new standard aims to better recognize the risk associated with hypertension. Under the former guidelines, 32% of US adults were considered to have high blood pressure. Under the revised categories, 46% of adults, a number of them younger than 45, are defined as hypertensive. The report’s authors believe that the new guideline will triple the number of young men and double the number of young women who are considered hypertensive.
Although more adults now fall under the hypertensive category, medical experts hope this won’t necessarily mean a surge in medication use. Instead, the emphasis is on lifestyle changes such as:
Losing weight
Improving diet
Exercising more
Drinking less alcohol
Reducing stress
Richard Chazal, former president of the American College of Cardiology, stated, “An important cornerstone of these new guidelines is a strong emphasis on lifestyle changes as the first line of therapy.”
It’s also worth noting that while some physicians recommend reducing dietary salt, research shows low salt intake can actually raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease, strokes, and heart attacks.
Most health care providers are expected to adopt the new report’s framework, which introduces categories such as:
Elevated
Stage 1 Hypertension
Stage 2 Hypertension
Hypertensive Crisis
These categories aim to help doctors recognize risk levels earlier and treat proactively.
Hypertension is the leading cause of death worldwide and the US’s second-highest cause of preventable death after smoking. Risks include strokes, severe kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease.
Because high blood pressure has no symptoms, many people are unaware they have it. Doctors may also under-diagnose hypertension if it is the only health issue a patient has, especially when the patient is otherwise healthy. This underlines why hypertension is often called “the silent killer.”
Maintaining blood pressure below 120/80 will reduce the risks of heart attack and stroke. Keep an eye on your blood pressure level and actively adopt healthy exercise and eating habits to avoid the world’s leading cause of death.
