Lower is definitely better when it comes to high blood pressure. Hypertension can put you at increased risk of stroke and heart disease. Millions of Americans are prescribed medications to keep their blood pressure in line.
But a study published in the journal The Lancet suggests even those with normal blood pressure might still benefit from hypertensive drugs.
Researchers analyzed information from 48 previous clinical trials involving more than 340,000 individuals. They included both people with a history of heart disease and those with no such cardiovascular problems. Their blood pressures ran the gamut, from high to high-normal to just plain normal.
During the next four years, 42,000 participants suffered a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke.
The study findings might surprise those who are resting on the laurels of normal blood pressure. Researchers discovered that each 5 millimeters of mercury drop in systolic pressure resulted in a 10 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and 13 percent lower risk of stroke. Systolic pressure in the top number when a doctor tells you your B-P is, for example, 120 over 70.
This drop was true even among those who had normal blood pressure and no prior heart issues.
That doesn’t mean you should rush to the doctor and ask for pressure-reducing meds even if you’re perfectly healthy. Scientists caution more research is needed. But they note that blood pressure alone might not be the only factor to consider when doctors contemplating a prescription. Risk factors like diabetes and smoking should also play a role.
Meantime, get lots of exercise. Watch your weight. Oh, and toss those cigarettes.