HEALTH
PRESSURE TEST
We all thought we knew what counted as high blood pressure, but now there’s a new category called ‘elevated blood pressure’. What is it – and should we be treating it?
by PATSY WESTCOTT
The stress of shopping and family get-togethers, plus the surfeit of rich, salty meals and alcohol are enough to send anyone’s blood pressure upwards at this time of year. But how high is too high? In the UK, normal blood pressure is 120/80 or less, and high blood pressure (hypertension) is set at 140/90.
But recent guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology propose a new in-between category called ‘elevated blood pressure’ of 120/70 to 139/89, at which treatment should be considered. The guidelines bring Europe into line with the US, where there is already an elevated category of 120-129/80.
It reflects the fact that high BP doesn’t happen overnight, and that some people – for example those with diabetes – could benefit from more intensive treatment at levels lower than the traditional cut-off point. ‘We often talk about thresholds, but blood pressure actually increases gradually over the years,’ says Dr Pauline Swift, chair of Blood Pressure UK. ‘This is an opportunity to act sooner rather than later.’