

First, they don't offer different recommendations for people younger or older than age 65. The new guidelines have other changes, too. The results found that targeting a systolic pressure of no more than 120 mm Hg reduced the chance of heart attacks, heart failure, or stroke over a three-year period. The study's aim was to find out whether treating blood pressure to lower the systolic number to 120 mm Hg or less was superior to the standard target of 140 mm Hg or less.
AVRAGE BP FOR A 62 YEAR OLD MAN TRIAL
The new guidelines stem from the 2017 results of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), which studied more than 9,000 adults ages 50 and older who had systolic blood pressure (the top number in a reading) of 130 mm Hg or higher and at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease. "The goal now with the new guidelines is to help people address high blood pressure - and the problems that may accompany it like heart attack and stroke - much earlier." Paul Conlin, an endocrinologist with Harvard-affiliated VA Boston Healthcare System and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Instead, they are changed when sufficient new evidence suggests the old ones weren't accurate or relevant anymore," says Dr. "Blood pressure guidelines are not updated at regular intervals. That includes many men whose blood pressure had previously been considered healthy. This means 70% to 79% of men ages 55 and older are now classified as having hypertension. The previous guidelines set the threshold at 140/90 mm Hg for people younger than age 65 and 150/80 mm Hg for those ages 65 and older. In 2017, new guidelines from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and nine other health organizations lowered the numbers for the diagnosis of hypertension (high blood pressure) to 130/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and higher for all adults. If you didn't have high blood pressure before, there's a good chance you do now. Those with stronger cognitive function to begin with experienced a greater reduction in the risk of heart disease and death.Īlthough those with impaired function did not gain as much benefit, there was no indication that the lower systolic level increased their risk of heart disease or death.The definition for what is considered high blood pressure has been tightened. The researchers also looked at the benefits of intensive blood pressure control according to each participant’s level of cognitive function at the start of the trial. However, results showed that this level of blood pressure did not increase a person’s chances of falling. Falls often lead to complications in the elderly that can be fatal.

The researchers were also concerned about the potential for falls due to very low blood pressure. People in the 120 mmHg group also saw an increased incidence of non-major, but still significant, changes to their kidney function, including hospitalizations for kidney damage. The development of dementia was about the same in both groups. The group who had achieved systolic levels of 120 mmHg or less did see a lowered risk of heart disease events, and a lower likelihood of mild cognitive impairment. To these ends, the second group received what researchers considered “intensive” treatment to bring their systolic reading down below 120 mmHg. The scientists were also interested in seeing if cognitive or physical impairments would affect the benefits of any lower systolic measurement. The researchers sought to determine if a more aggressive control of high blood pressure would benefit people’s health, lower their risk of heart disease events, cognitive decline, or death, or increase health risks in any way. The researchers randomly divided the participants into two equal groups, with one group receiving assistance in getting their systolic readings below 140 mmHg. The average baseline systolic blood pressure of the participants was approximately 142 mmHg. More than half of those included were regularly taking five or more medications. The mean age of the participants was 84, with about 3% older than 90. The majority had three or more chronic health conditions. They included data from individuals who had experienced strokes, heart attacks, changes in kidney function, cognitive impairment, quality of life reduction, or who had died.Ībout 27% of them had a history of heart disease. Researchers gathered information from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT).

The study’s findings come from a randomized trial of 1,167 participants.

Using the SPRINT study for new guidelines
