Blood pressure — for many of us, it’s little more than some
strange fraction that a doctor or nurse mentions to us any
time we head to the doctor or hospital. Or, it’s merely the
hieroglyphics that show up on the blood pressure monitor
when you’re trying to kill some time at CVS. Either way, it’s
something that a lot of people don’t understand. Yet, it’s
one of the most vital and important ways to get some
insight into our health.
Well, it’s time to get clued-in because there is big news
regarding blood pressure from a large-scale study that has
produced some rather clear-cut findings. The National
Institutes of Health-sponsored Systolic Blood Pressure
Intervention Trial, or SPRINT, was kicked off in order to
address this question: “Will lower blood pressure reduce
the risk of heart and kidney diseases, stroke, or age-related
declines in memory and thinking?”
Now, we have an answer:
“More intensive management of high blood pressure, below
a commonly recommended blood pressure target,
significantly reduces rates of cardiovascular disease, and
lowers risk of death in a group of adults 50 years and older
with high blood pressure,” reads a news release from the
National Institutes of Health. For millions of Americans, this
is big news. Considering that there is an obesity epidemic
and widespread ignorance or misinformation circulating
about cardiovascular health and blood pressure, these
findings, as simple as they are, can help more people make
smart decisions regarding their health.
“This study provides potentially lifesaving information that
will be useful to health care providers as they consider the
best treatment options for some of their patients,
particularly those over the age of 50,” said Gary H. Gibbons,
M.D., director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute.
“We are delighted to have achieved this important
milestone in the study in advance of the expected closure
date for the SPRINT trial and look forward to quickly
communicating the results to help inform patient care and
the future development of evidence-based clinical
guidelines.”
When you cut through all the noise, what, exactly, does this
mean for the average American? Basically, this study
confirms or reaffirms the importance of hitting targeted
blood pressure parameters. Essentially, since roughly one
out of three people making up the American population has
some sort of issue with hypertension or elevated blood
pressure, this study can help doctors and medical staff
develop better guidelines to help improve patient
outcomes.
For example, Marc Siegel, M.D., a professor of medicine and
medical director of Doctor Radio at New York University’s
Langone Medical Center, wrote an article for Slate about the
study’s findings and how it will actually impact his work day-
to-day.
“A single study will change the way I practice medicine, with
guidelines from the American Heart Association and the
National Institutes of Health soon to follow,” he writes.
“Targeted diet, exercise, and weight loss are good first-line
approaches, but many people require medication as
well. Now that I know there is a dramatic difference
between a systolic blood pressure of 140 and 120 in those I
treat, I will be much more proactive in trying to persuade
my patients to target the lower number.”
With the importance of keeping your blood pressure low
once again being extolled by medical science, taking
measures in your day-to-day life to ensure it stays low is
extremely important. Of course, the biggest hurdle, for
most people, is adjusting your level of physical activity and
diet to make healthy gains. That can be very difficult,
depending on a number of factors.
But you can start by digging around The Cheat Sheet’s own
trove of health and fitness articles — many rife with
exercises and workouts that will help you tackle issues
related to obesity and hypertension. Also, look for ways to
de-stress, which is also a big factor toward keeping blood
pressure in check.
So, the next time you get your blood pressure checked, set
some goals to get it lower. Ideally, you’re aiming for 120
over 80 — or thereabouts. And according to this most
recent study, the lower the better. (Just don’t pass out.)
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