Salinas, CA Monterey, CA Systolic Blood Pressure For Seniors Should Be Below 120, Says Research

There has been quite a bit of controversy regarding how high blood pressure is treated and how high should be considered too high.  A major study was ended more than a year early on Friday when researchers said that the data was conclusive.  The findings were that current blood pressure guidelines were set way too high and the theory that senior citizens needed somewhat higher blood pressure to the brain were not compelling enough to set guidelines higher for them.  Patients that had their systolic blood pressure lowered below 120 (well below guidelines of 140-150 for those over 60) reduced their risk of death by nearly one quarter.  The study by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of 9,300 people who were at high risk of heart disease or had kidney disease wasn’t supposed to end until 2017 but researchers went public with what they said was potentially lifesaving information.