Report says more people at risk of high blood pressure
Some of you who believed you were heart-healthy … take another 10,000 steps.
Representatives of the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and nine other groups joined forces on a study of blood pressure, and determined the threshold for high blood pressure – hypertension – is now 130 over 80, a drop from 140 over 90.
That means significantly more adults nationwide will be considered hypertensive – 46 percent, compared with 32 percent under the previous standard. This is the first time the threshold changed since 2003, according to the report that was released this week.
High blood pressure is serious stuff. It is the leading cause of death worldwide and trails only smoking as the main cause of preventable death in the United States. Hypertension can lead to such life-threatening conditions as cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.
“Hypertension is referred to as ‘the silent killer,'” said Dr. J. Travis Wilson, a cardiologist at Canonsburg Hospital, part of the Allegheny Health Network. “It can lead to substantial disease, but it is certainly treatable.”
“Most people with high blood pressure aren’t aware they have it,” said Dr. Benjamin Susco, a non-invasive cardiologist for Washington Health System. “Hypertension exists on a patient-to-patient basis. An individual needs to consult with a physician before starting to treat it.”
Both doctors read the report and were wholly supportive of it Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s a very encouraging document that helps us,” Wilson said, referring to medical professionals. “It encourages us to make an earlier diagnosis.
“This is something of a wake-up call. We need to identify people at risk and make interventions that will avert conditions that can result from high blood pressure.”
An increase in the number of individuals considered to be hypertensive does not translate to a corresponding increase in the need for medication. Authors of the report believe few people who crossed into this new category will require prescription drugs, but will benefit primarily from a healthier lifestyle.
“High blood pressure does not mean medication,” Wilson said. “We stress lifestyle changes first and foremost – exercising more and having a heart-healthy diet. This gets back to the need for the whole country to make changes.”
Susco, who previously worked for AHN, agreed changes are vital to maintaining healthy blood pressure. He also advised people to either purchase a blood pressure cuff or have their pressure checked at least once or twice a year.
Younger people – 45 and younger – are a target of this report. This lower threshold – 130 over 80 – is expected to triple the number of men and double the number of women in this age range considered to have high blood pressure.
Wilson did not have figures on the prevalence of hypertension in Washington County but said it probably doesn’t vary greatly from the national mean.
An estimated one in three Americans – or 75 million – have high blood pressure. A mere 54 percent of that group have the condition under control.
Although he did not have statistics, either, Susco said Greene County appears to have higher incidences of coronary artery and peripheral vascular (plaque-buildup) diseases.
Physicians at Monongahela Valley Hospital could not be reached for comment.