We have always heard that low blood pressure means long life. Here is something to reiterate this. A pressure of 115/75 has been predicted to be the safest bet.

    Team@CMHF

Current guidelines label people with blood pressure above 120/80 millimeters of mercury as having pre-hypertension and at higher risk for serious health problems like heart attack and stroke than people with lower blood pressure. Dr. Aram V. Chobanian, president emeritus of Boston University, who was chairman of the 2003 guidelines panel, said those recommendations were based on studies showing that the risk of heart disease starts to rise at readings as low as 115/75.

But the data review found that people in that category are not any more likely to die prematurely than those with lower blood pressures, according to the study, published in The Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Among people over 50, the most meaningful predictor of poor health was the systolic blood pressure — the first, or upper, number given in a blood pressure reading. In this older group, a systolic pressure of 140 or higher was most predictive of mortality. Among people under 50, it was the diastolic pressure, or second number, that was most predictive.

Dr Chobanian said he had not read the latest study, which looked at mortality risk rather than heart disease risk, but noted that other doctors have raised concerns about a designation of pre-hypertension for people with blood pressure of 120/80.

Some physicians feel it’s an overemphasis, and I understand that,” he said. “If you identify individuals who are candidates for prevention of hypertension, that to me is the greatest point of it, to pick out people whom you want to make — or try to make them — change their lifestyle.”

A single study is not likely to change the guidelines, but the research will be included in the discussion of blood pressure guidelines. The eighth Joint National Committee panel is currently reviewing the guidelines and is expected to make draft recommendations later this year.

Read More: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/rethinking-normal-blood-pressure/?partner=rss&emc=rss