This New York Times article, http://fal.cn/4UPT, concludes that blood pressure over 130/80 increases the risk of death from heart attack and stroke, and is now considered hypertension.
You can read the article for a summary of the new high blood pressure recommendations of several expert associations, including American HeartAssociation. These new parameters were not made arbitrarily; they are backed by a three year review of almost 1000 studies that represent millions of patients.
High blood pressure is very serious. Outside of smoking, it is responsible for more deaths yearly (from heart attack and stroke) than any preventable cause.
If you fall in this category, don’t be alarmed. As always, I would recommend you do the common sense thing first - lose weight, exercise daily, decrease your salt intake. All of these measures have been shown to modestly decrease blood pressure. If your blood pressure stays elevated, don’t ignore it! Talk to your doctor so you can decide what treatment plan is best for you.
You can read the article for a summary of the new high blood pressure recommendations of several expert associations, including American HeartAssociation. These new parameters were not made arbitrarily; they are backed by a three year review of almost 1000 studies that represent millions of patients.
High blood pressure is very serious. Outside of smoking, it is responsible for more deaths yearly (from heart attack and stroke) than any preventable cause.
If you fall in this category, don’t be alarmed. As always, I would recommend you do the common sense thing first - lose weight, exercise daily, decrease your salt intake. All of these measures have been shown to modestly decrease blood pressure. If your blood pressure stays elevated, don’t ignore it! Talk to your doctor so you can decide what treatment plan is best for you.
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