American Heart Association’s new guidelines for BPImage Credit Source: Getty Images
Blood Pressure New Guidelines: Many of you will often check their blood pressure, after seeing the reading, they decide whether the blood pressure is normal or more. Perhaps you know how much blood pressure is normal. But now this information has been updated. Now 120/80 blood pressure is also not in the category of normal. The American Heart Association has released new guidelines for blood pressure, in which the limit of normal blood pressure has already been reduced. Earlier in the year 2017, the limit of normal blood pressure was fixed, according to which the normal reading of systolic BP i.e. upper blood pressure was up to 120. But according to the new guidelines, it has been limited from 115 to 119. Similarly, the normal range of diastolic i.e. lower pressure is kept between 70 and 79. The American Heart Association argues that to avoid many serious diseases, it is necessary to control the increasing blood pressure in time.
New stage and emergency category
According to the new guidelines, blood pressure is now divided into stages. If systolic BP is more than 130 and diastolic BP is more than 80, then it is considered the first stage of hypertension. At the same time, when the blood pressure is more than 140/90, it comes in the second stage of hypertension. If the blood pressure is more than 180/120, then it is considered a serious condition i.e. health emergency and it is necessary to seek medical help immediately.
Suggestions for hypertension patients
Some important suggestions have been made for hypertension patients. If your blood pressure is between 120 and 139, then the lifestyle should be changed immediately. If there is no benefit of this for three months, then the medicine can be started with the advice of a doctor. At the same time, if your blood pressure is often more than 140, then it is necessary to take the medicine controlling blood pressure immediately. If systolic blood pressure is more than 180, then it should be immediately reached the hospital considering it as a serious emergency.
Impact in America and India
According to the new guideline, about 3 crore people in the US have been included in the category of hypertension. In India too, the number of patients with hypertension can increase by 20-30%.
History of changing the account of blood pressure
The account of blood pressure has been updated from time to time. According to the 1960 guidelines, 120-159 were considered pre-hypertension and more than 160 were considered hypertension. In 1977, it was updated to pre-hypertension limit to 139 and more than 140 under hypertension. After this, in 2017, Systolic 129 was considered pre-hypertension and more than 130 were considered hypertension. And now for the first time in the new guideline of 2025, the limit of normal blood pressure has been reduced to 120.
Health worry or advantage of pharmaceutical companies?
The question arises behind changing the limit of blood pressure repeatedly whether it is really worrying about your health or benefit for pharmaceutical companies? This argument is being made because a large part of the funding of the American Heart Association is received from different foundation and donations from pharmaceutical companies. In such a situation, the question arises that there is no angle that makes the pharmaceutical companies happy behind changing the limit of blood pressure again and again.