Thirty million Americans are getting some bad health news: they have high blood pressure and need to do something about it, according to new aggressive hypertension treatment guidelines released by heart doctors Monday.
The doctors and other experts, from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and nine other groups, are moving the goal line for blood pressure control, meaning 46% of U.S. adults — about 103 million — could now be diagnosed with hypertension.
That’s up from 32%, or 72 million, under older guidelines.
Most of those added people will be urged to change their diets, exercise more and make other lifestyle changes, rather than take medication.
The guidelines also call on patients already in treatment to work toward the lower goal – a reading of no more than 130/80, down from the old standard, 140/90.
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