who blood pressure guidelines

When it comes to your “health numbers,” your two blood pressure values are important to know—and keep under control. But experts have different opinions about what optimal blood pressure control. It’s good to go back and review the high blood pressure guidelines for adults released in 2013

Millions of Americans have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. It is the most common risk factor for heart attack and stroke. High blood pressure can also lead to kidney failure, aneurysm (weakening or bulging of blood vessel walls), damaged blood vessels in the eyes, and vascular dementia (the second leading cause of memory loss and thinking problems). Unfortunately, barely half of Americans with high blood pressure have it under control.

First, some background information. Blood pressure is the force exerted on the arteries by a wave of blood propelled from the heart. It is given as two numbers, each measurement recorded in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), like 122/78. Systolic pressure (the top number of a blood pressure reading) gauges the pressure in the arteries at systole (SIS-tuh-lee), the instant when the heart contracts and pushes a wave of blood along the arterial tree (think “s” for squeeze). Diastolic pressure (the bottom number of a blood pressure reading) is the pressure during diastole (die-AS-tuh-lee), the brief period of relaxation between beats.

What the 2103 guidelines failed to specify is what is “normal” blood pressure and what is high blood pressure. I continue to stick with the current standard definitions:

Normal (meaning healthy) blood pressure: a systolic pressure under 120 and a diastolic pressure under 80.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure: a systolic pressure of 140 or higher and/or a diastolic pressure of 90 or higher.

Among adults age 60 and older with high blood pressure, aim for a target blood pressure under 150/90.
Among adults age 30 to 59 with high blood pressure, aim for a target blood pressure under 140/90
Among adults with diabetes or chronic kidney disease, aim for a target blood pressure under 140/90.

The expert panel that put together the guidelines also weighed in on how best to get to these targets. It recommended that everyone with high blood pressure, as well as those in the gray zone between normal and high blood pressure, adopt healthy lifestyle changes known to control blood pressure. These include losing weight if necessary, limiting salt intake, eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and keeping physically active.

When drug therapy is needed, the guidelines recommend starting with slightly different medications depending on race. For nonblacks, including those with diabetes, it’s okay to start with an ACE inhibitor, angiotensin-receptor blocker, calcium-channel blocker, or thiazide-type diuretic. Among blacks, including those with diabetes, a calcium-channel block or thiazide-type diuretic is the best initial medication. Among individuals with declining kidney function, it’s best to start with a low dose of an ACE inhibitor or angiotensin-receptor blocker, since these types of medications help protect the kidneys from further damage.