"What Do The New Blood Pressure Guidelines Mean For You?" - Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD

New U.S. guidelines for the detection and treatment of high blood pressure will result in many more Americans being diagnosed with this common yet potentially life-threatening health condition. High blood pressure occurs when the force of the blood flowing through your blood vessels in higher than normal. In November, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association jointly issued new guidelines on high blood pressure – the first update in nearly 15 years. The previous official guidelines consider hypertension to be equal or greater than 140/90, whereas the new definition of high blood pressure is 130/80 or greater – a substantial drop. Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, physician in chief at the Mount Sinai Hospital and director of Mount Sinai Heart said, “With this change in criteria, nearly half of the adult population in the United States will have high blood pressure. The good news is that most people with high blood pressure can control it through lifestyle changes and medication. But the first step to proper treatment is learning whether you have it.” He added that an important issue that the new guidelines do not emphasize enough is the need for increased public awareness of high blood pressure. “It is essential to educate people, doctors, and communities to identify those with high blood pressure as it is now defined, and treat it properly.”

- Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Professor, Medicine, Cardiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Mount Sinai Heart, Physician in Chief at The Mount Sinai Hospital

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