ANAHEIM, CA (WHTC-AM/FM) – New guidelines could mean more Americans now have high blood pressure.
According to a new scientific guideline released Monday by the American Heart Association, people with readings of 130 as the top number or 80 as the bottom one now are considered to have high blood pressure. High blood pressure used to be defined as 140/90.
The change means 46 percent of U.S. adults are identified as having high blood pressure, compared with 32 percent under the previous definition. A blood pressure of less than 120/80 still will be considered normal, but levels at or above that, to 129, will be called “elevated.”
The new guideline is designed to help people take steps to control their blood pressure earlier, according to the authors. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. According to Cindy Bouma, Communications Director for the American Heart Association in Grand Rapids, in 2015, Michigan ranked as #18 out of all states when it comes to hypertension (high blood pressure)
The recommendations for a heart-healthy diet include reducing salt and incorporating potassium-rich foods such as bananas, potatoes, avocados and dark leafy vegetables. The guideline also gives specific suggestions for weight loss, quitting cigarettes, cutting back on alcohol and increasing physical activity.
The guideline, the first comprehensive one in 14 years, homes in on making sure doctors’ offices and patients understand how to accurately measure blood pressure and diagnose hypertension in the first place.
Hypertension occurs when the force of blood pushing against vessel walls is too high. This added pressure causes the heart to work too hard and blood vessels to function less effectively. Over time, the stress damages the tissues within arteries, which can further damage the heart and circulatory system.
Often called the “silent killer” because there are often no obvious symptoms, hypertension accounts for more heart disease and stroke deaths than almost all other preventable causes. It’s second only to smoking.
According to the American Heart Association, below are how some other groups will be affected by the new measurements:
— High blood pressure rates could nearly triple among men age 20 to 44 – up to 30 percent from 11 percent. Women in that age group will see their rates almost double, to 19 percent from 10 percent.
— Roughly three-quarters of men between 55 and 74 could be diagnosed with high blood pressure.
— Black and Hispanic men will experience a 17 percent increase in rates. Asian men will see a 16 percent increase.
The new classifications and recommendations are specific in how they determine who is at risk and what they should do about it, Jamerson said.
Doctors should use a “risk calculator” to determine a patient’s risk of heart disease or stroke over the next 10 years. That assessment, combined with the other recommendations, can prompt more thorough doctor-patient conversations to determine whether lifestyle changes alone can help, or if medicine is needed as well.
