By New York Times
The risk for cardiovascular disease may might begin to increase at blood pressure levels well below the currently defined guidelines.
A study in JAMA Cardiology included 1,457 people, average age 58, who were free of cardiovascular disease and otherwise quite healthy — they didn’t smoke and had healthy cholesterol and blood glucose levels, and none were taking cholesterol-lowering or blood pressure medicines. They had average blood pressure readings of 111/68. (The American Heart Association defines hypertension as a blood pressure of 130/80 or higher.)
Overall, the rate of cardiovascular disease in the group was low. But after adjustment for other factors, the researchers found that compared with people with a systolic reading (the top number) of 90 to 99, people with readings of 100 to 109 had three times the risk of cardiovascular disease; those at 110 to 119, 3.1 times the risk; and those at 120 to 129, 4.6 times the risk.
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