When it comes to blood pressure, you just might be in for a surprise. What once was considered safe is now viewed as potentially risky. Federal health guidelines currently put about 45 million Americans in a category called “prehypertension.” This category was created to warn people of the dangers of developing full-fledged high blood pressure—including heart disease, stroke, eye problems, and kidney disease.

Experts now consider optimal blood pressure to be lower than 120/80 mm Hg. Readings between 120/80 and 139/89 are considered prehypertension, even if just one of the numbers falls in that range.

Why the change? New research shows that damage to the cardiovascular system from increased blood pressure can begin earlier than doctors previously realized.

Health experts recommend having your blood pressure checked at least every two years, beginning at age 18.

Fortunately, recent studies show that making certain lifestyle choices can lower your chance of developing high blood pressure, even if you already have prehypertension. These include:

• maintaining a healthy weight
• exercising for at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week
• limiting alcoholic beverages to one daily drink for women, two for men
• consuming less than 2,300 mg of sodium—about the amount contained in 1 teaspoon of table salt—a day
• eating foods rich in calcium, potassium, magnesium, and folate.

Free
Keep your blood pressure in check! Free blood pressure screenings will be offered Tuesday, January 10, from 9 a.m. to noon, in the Atrium of Western Baptist Hospital’s Doctors Office Building 2.

Did You Know
Experts recommend that people steer clear of coffee 30 minutes before having their blood pressure tested.