According to published findings in the Wall Street Journal this week, blood pressure standards have changed for the first time in 14 years. New guidelines published by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, which set hypertension at 130/80 now, as compared to the former guidelines reading hypertension at 140/90. The new guidelines give a threshold to hypertension diagnosis that will include a staggering 103.3 million people.
Primary care doctors are at the forefront of dealing with patient guidance on hypertension. This new guidance is intended to promote life style change for people approaching mid age and over. More exercise and a healthier diet is what is promoted for a new chunk of 30 million people now included in the hypertension basket!