[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/06\/new-high-blood-pressure-guidelines\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/06\/new-high-blood-pressure-guidelines\/","headline":"What Do the New High Blood Pressure Guidelines Mean for You?","name":"What Do the New High Blood Pressure Guidelines Mean for You?","description":"Learn about the new high blood pressure guidelines and what they mean for you in our blog!","datePublished":"2018-06-18","dateModified":"2022-12-28","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/campaigns\/southcentral-pa","name":"UPMC Harrisburg","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/campaigns\/southcentral-pa","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc-harrisburg\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/new-high-blood-pressure-guidelines.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/new-high-blood-pressure-guidelines.jpg","height":325,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/06\/new-high-blood-pressure-guidelines\/","about":["Heart and Vascular Health","Living and Wellness"],"wordCount":623,"keywords":["Pinnacle Health"],"articleBody":"New guidelines issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC) have lowered the definition of high blood pressure or hypertension.Under the new guidelines, 30 million more Americans will now be considered to have high blood pressure. If you are one of those 30 million people, you might be wondering: Why did the guidelines change? And what can I do to improve my heart health?The New GuidelinesThe new guidelines define high blood pressure as a systolic (top number) of more than 130 mmHg and a diastolic (bottom number) of more than 80 mmHg. Normal blood pressure is defined as less than 120\/80. Elevated blood pressure is defined as 120\/80 to 129\/80. These guidelines apply to all adults, regardless of age and health history.Previously, high blood pressure was defined as 140\/90. Some older guidelines also relaxed the definition even further for people who were age 60 or older who had no history of heart problems and were at low risk.Preventing Heart DiseaseDespite many advanced cardiovascular treatments, heart disease is still the number one killer in America. And high blood pressure significantly increases your risk of developing heart disease. In fact, statistics show that 85-90 percent of people will develop high blood pressure in their lifetime.Studies show that a blood pressure reading in the 130-139 range\u2014which was not considered high under the previous guidelines\u2014doubles your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.\u201cHypertension is a silent killer,\u201d Dr. Saul Silver, MD, UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, tells WPXI.\u201dAnd you have to remember that you don\u2019t really get symptoms of hypertension until it\u2019s too late.\u201dThe new guidelines are intended to encourage doctors and patients to take action to lower blood pressure sooner before it causes serious problems.Identifying patients with blood pressure in the \u201celevated\u201d range and encouraging them to take action sooner may help them to control their blood pressure with lifestyle changes alone and avoid treatment with medication.Maintaining Your Blood PressureVery high blood pressure can cause blurry vision, dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath, and chest discomfort. But it does not always cause noticeable symptoms. That\u2019s why having your blood pressure checked regularly is important.\u201cI encourage all my patients to check their blood pressure at home regularly, and to relax for a few minutes before they take their blood pressure,\u201d says Dr. Silver. \u201cClose their eyes, think calm thoughts, then check their blood pressure.\u201dIf you have normal blood pressure, you should have it checked at least once a year. If your blood pressure is elevated or if you are being treated for it, you should have it checked more often. Checking your blood pressure using a home monitor and keeping track of your results over time may help you identify high blood pressure more quickly.If your blood pressure is higher than 130\/80, your doctor may recommend medication. However, your doctor also will recommend lifestyle changes. These can include:Eating a heart-healthy diet that is low in sodium and rich in potassium.Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.Getting regular physical activity, such as aerobic exercise and resistance training.Limiting alcohol consumption.Quitting smoking.Adopting these healthy habits can not only help to lower high blood pressure by 10-20 mmHg or more, but it also can prevent people from developing high blood pressure in the future.If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure or think you might be at risk, you should schedule an appointment with your primary care provider today.William Bachinsky, MD, UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, is enrolling patients at UPMC Harrisburg in clinical trials studying whether investigational procedures may help lower blood pressure.Editor's Note: This article was originally published on June 18, 2018, and was last reviewed on December 28, 2022."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2018","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"06","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/\/06\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What Do the New High Blood Pressure Guidelines Mean for You?","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/06\/new-high-blood-pressure-guidelines\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]