What this group did was look at all the studies and determined the association of each level of blood pressure and your risk for heart disease and stroke. Lower blood pressure is associated with improved outcomes. Q: What prompted the guideline change?Ī: Hypertension is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease and stroke. In this Q&A, he explains the new standards and how you can keep your blood pressure in the normal range below 120/80. The change meant 30 million more American adults have high blood pressure.īrian Bostick, MD, PhD, is an MU Health Care cardiologist. Systolic refers to pressure during heart contractions, and diastolic refers to pressure between beats. The new definition of Stage 1 high blood pressure is a systolic pressure of at least 130 or a diastolic pressure of 80 or above. The odds increased in November when the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology issued new standards that lowered the threshold for the diagnosis of hypertension. If you’re an American adult, there is a 46 percent chance you have high blood pressure.
