New guidelines from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology are changing the definition of high blood pressure.
Patients with blood pressure previously considered pre-hypertension now fall into the Stage One category.
Dr. George Thomas, director of the Center for Blood Pressure Disorders at the Cleveland Clinic, says more people will now be diagnosed with high blood pressure.
“The statistic that we had previously of 1-in-3 U.S. adults having hypertension changes now into 1-in-2 U.S. adults having hypertension. So the actual numbers, for a diagnosis of hypertension, start at 130 systolic – that’s the upper number – and 80 diastolic, which is the lower number.”
Thomas believes the change recommended by the study will raise awareness and lead to lifestyle modifications.
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