If your blood pressure is 130/80 and you have been
feeling safe, the latest guidelines from the American
Heart Association (AHA) will give you high blood
pressure.

For decades, a measurement of 140/90 mmHG has
been the standard to define pre- and borderline
hypertension.

Anything below that and you walk away with a caution
on sedentary lifestyle and diet.

Anything above and you get medications that may
make you pass water more often than not.

But AHA on Monday changed the definition of
hypertension by reviewing the measurement
downward to 130/80 mmHg.

Since 1993, the upper threshold has been 140, but a
major study in 2015 found heart risks were much lower
in people who aimed for 120.

Canada and Australia lowered their threshold to 120.

Europe is still at 140 but is due to revise its own in
2018, but Nigeria maintains 140/90 in line with World
Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines which may also
change soon in line with latest research findings.

More than half of Nigerian adults will be classified as
hypertensive under the new AHA guidelines, which no
longer have “pre-hypertension”.

WHAT IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?

On World Hypertension Day 2017, it was revealed by
experts that about 45% of Nigerian adults are at
different stages of hypertension.

And that was when it was defined as 190/40.
When AHA announced the new threshold on Monday,
the percentage of US adults living with high blood
pressure instantly rose from 32 percent to 46 percent.

Young people felt the impact the most — the
hypertension figure for men under 45 tripled and
doubled for women in the same age category.

The new guidelines are coming after years of research
which proved that people with less than 140/90
doubled their risk of cardiovascular problems.

“I have no doubt there will be controversy. I’m sure
there will be people saying ‘We have a hard enough
time getting to 140,'” said Dr. Paul Whelton, a Tulane
University physician who led the guidelines panel.

He said the risk for heart disease, stroke and other
problems drops as blood pressure improves, and that
the new advice is more honest about how many
people have a problem.

THE NEW CHANGES

—Normal: Under 120/80
—Elevated: Top number 120-129/80
—Stage 1 : Top of 130-139 or bottom of 80-89
—Stage 2 : Top at least 140 or bottom at least 90

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