JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018
SPOTLIGHT
From page 8
Interestingly , the number of people requiring medication to treat their high blood pressure will only rise by an estimated 4.2 million . What does this mean ? That most of those newly diagnosed people with hypertension will be able to address their high blood pressure with lifestyle modifications ! The statistics in the preceding paragraph sound scary . Focus on the encouraging news- if people lower their blood pressure by exercising more and eating a healthier diet , or with medications if necessary , more lives can be saved and people ’ s quality of life can significantly improve .
Why the New Guidelines ?
In three words : Lower is Better . The criteria in the new blood pressure guidelines were borne out of growing evidence that blood pressure that was considered normal or “ pre-hypertensive ” placed patients at significant risk for heart disease , kidney disease , heart attack , stroke , disability and the overall risk of death . High blood pressure ( aka hypertension ) is a common disease and can damage your body and its organs over a long period of time , killing millions of people every year .
It is estimated that nearly half of all American adults , and nearly 80 percent of those aged 65 and older , will find that they have an abnormal blood pressure under the new guidelines and will need to take steps to reduce their blood pressure . Furthermore , the prevalence of high blood pressure is expected to triple among men under age 45 , and double among women under 45 . High blood pressure is the leading cause of death worldwide . After smoking cigarettes , high blood pressure is the second-leading cause of preventable death in the United States . High blood pressure is called a “ silent killer ” because many people are unaware they have the condition because they are symptomless . Research shows that patients with a 20-point higher systolic blood pressure or a 10-point higher diastolic blood pressure double their risk of death from heart attack , stroke , or other cardiovascular complications ( like abdominal aortic aneurysm or heart failure ) as compared with people with normal blood pressure .
What Are the New Guidelines ?
The new guidelines define normal blood pressure as under 120 / 80 . Prior to November 13 th , 2017 normal was under 140 / 90 . The new guidelines create categories including “ elevated ,” “ Stage 1 and 2 hypertension ,” and “ hypertensive crisis ,” each characterized by various blood pressure readings noted below .
• Blood pressure categories in the new guideline are :
• Normal blood pressure : Less than 120 / 80 mm Hg ;
• Elevated blood pressure : Systolic between 120-129 and diastolic less than 80 ;
• Stage 1 hypertension : Systolic between 130-139 or diastolic between 80-89 ;
• Stage 2 hypertension : Systolic at least 140 or diastolic at least 90 ;
• Hypertensive crisis : Systolic over 180 and / or diastolic over 120 .
So Now What ?
First , make sense of the numbers . Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers that are written
10 DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018