Is Your Blood Pressure Now Considered High? What New Guidelines Mean

According to the Washington Post, under these new guidelines, nearly half of U.S. adults will be considered to have high blood pressure.

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology have changed guidelines for hypertension. According to the Washington Post, under these new guidelines, nearly half of U.S. adults will be considered to have high blood pressure.

• According to the report, a reading of 130 over 80, down from 140 over 90, will be considered high blood pressure.
• Rather than 1 in 3 U.S. adults having high blood pressure (32 percent) with the previous definition, the new guidelines will result in nearly half of the U.S. adult population (46 percent) having high blood pressure, or hypertension.
• The authors of the report say only a small number of those who fall into this new category will need medication.
• The ultimate goal is to address the issue earlier through lifestyle changes like improved diet and exercise.