Treatment of High Blood Pressure
High Blood Pressure (hypertension) is associated with a greater risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. To reduce these risks associated with high blood pressure, JNC7 (the Seventh report of the joint national committee on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure) has provided a new classification of blood pressure for adults 18 years or older.
New Classification of Blood Pressure for Adults
Systolic blood pressure (Upper number): It is the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats; Diastolic blood pressure (Lower number): It is the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart rests between beats.
According to the revised classification by JNC7:
Pre-hypertension is a warning sign:
- A new term known as pre-hypertension has been introduced for people whose systolic blood pressure ranges between 120–139 mmHg and/or diastolic between 80–89 mmHg.
- It is a warning sign for people who are at a higher risk of developing high blood pressure in the future
SBP is a major risk factor for Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs):
- JNC7 states that with advancing age, systolic blood pressure of more than 140 mmHg is an important risk factor for CVDs as compared to diastolic pressure. For people older than 50 years of age, systolic hypertension (elevated systolic blood pressure >140 mmHg) is the most common form of hypertension
