Have you checked your blood pressure lately?
If it’s reached 130/80, then you may need to pay attention to your blood pressure more.
The American Heart Association has released new guidelines redefining high blood pressure as when it reaches 130/80, lower than its previous limit of 140/90, according to news reports.
The American Heart Association says that doctors now recognize that complications may already arise when your blood pressure reaches these numbers.
According to Paul Whelton, the lead author of the guidelines published in the American Heart Association journal, when a person reaches 130/80:
“You’ve already doubled your risk of cardiovascular complications compared to those with a normal level of blood pressure.”
Meanwhile, the normal limit for blood pressure is considered 120/80.
Don’t worry so much, though — if your blood pressure reaches 130/80, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you would have to take medication.
Rather, take it as a precaution, “a yellow light that you need to be lowering your blood pressure, mainly with non-drug approaches”, according to Whelton.
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