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Stricter Guidelines Might Mean You Now Have High Blood Pressure

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If you’ve been putting off a visit to the GP, now more than ever is the time to head to the doc. The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology just lowered the threshold for high blood pressure to 130/80 millimeters of mercury, and now 46% of Americans — up from 32% — fall in the danger zone

The previous benchmark stood at 140/90 mmHG, but recent research revealed that cut-off didn’t give patients a good indication of the threat hypertension presents.
Readings even below those numbers — previously called “pre-hypertension” or “high-normal blood pressure” — signify serious risks too.
Click To Tweetcompared to people whose blood pressure is under 120/80,” says Paul Whelton, M.D., lead author of the guidelines and a professor of global public health at Tulane University.
Doctors often call high blood pressure the “silent killer” because it’s second-leading cause of preventable death in the United States, behind cigarette smoking. Normal blood pressure is still considered under 120 mmHG for the systolic (top) number and 90 mmHG for the diastolic (bottom) number.

a screenshot of a cell phone: American Heart Association Blood Pressure Chart

© American Heart Association American Heart Association Blood Pressure Chart

If you’re one of the 30 million Americans who now fall in the extended range, don’t worry too much. In the vast majority of cases, your doctor will likely recommend lifestyle changes, not a prescription, to get you back on track.

“If you already have a doubling of risk, you need to know about it,” Whelton says. “It doesn’t mean you need medication, but it’s a yellow light that you need to be lowering your blood pressure.

” Losing weight, exercising more, drinking less alcohol and eating more fruits, veggies and whole grains can all make a positive difference and reduce your risk of other chronic diseases too.

While some people may have some devices to check their blood pressure at home, make sure you go to the doctor at least once a year for a reading, and more often if you have elevated or high blood pressure. To get the most accurate number, be still for five minutes before the test and don’t talk during it.

The cuff should be at your heart level as you’re sitting up. The AHA also recommends getting multiple readings and averaging the results, since they can fluctuate significantly.

Source: MSN.com

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Ericka Scott

I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 2000. Since then, I've been on a mission to help myself and loved ones living with Diabetes and High Blood Pressure, to prepare healthy and TASTY meals. Now, I'm here to help YOU do the same!

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