Hi everyone-
There was a HUGE article in May 14th New York Times regarding a NEW change in the guidelines for diagnosing hypertension.
To all of us who have been told that we are okay, they have added a NEW CATEGORY called "prehypertension".
This new category includes 45 million Americans whose blood pressure is 120 to 139 millimeters of mercury systolic (the top number) or 80 to 90 diastolic (the bottom number).


A statement issued by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute said the new recommendations were based on studies showing that artery damage can begin even at blood pressure levels that until recently were thought to be normal. They are saying that the risk of heart disease and stroke starts to rise at readings as low as 115/75, and doubles for each increase of 20/10 millimeters of mercury.

115/75???@#$#@!!!!!

So this means that the new report, from the National High Blood Pressure Education Program, defines normal blood pressure as a reading BELOW 120/80 millimeters of mercury.

The report urges doctors and patients to take high blood pressure more seriously and treat it more aggressively, often with more than one drug.

Good lord...does that mean that all of us who have been so happy to have brought our pressure down to 120-135/80-85 shouldn't be so complacent?

The report was posted yesterday on JAMA's website (Journal of the American medical Association) and will be published in the May 21 edition of the Journal.
Info for patients in the meantime:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/index.htm

zuzu xxx

Hello, I'm so glad you've posted this. This means that I have to worry about my hubby. His is 115/84. Do you happen to know when the best time is to measure your own blood pressure?

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Magpie

ZuZu,

I have been hearing this on the news for 2 days now and I am shocked as well..We need to get it down to 117/70 I guess to be healthy.

Hey I took that Natural Calm Magnesium this morning and i swear that stuff worked 15 mintues after I took it..I have had only 1 palp this am so far..it felt so calm after taking it...Lisa

I'm wondering if this is not something concocted by drug manufactueres to drum up more business.

I've heard that the acceptable cholesterol level was "anything under 260" at one time, and so many people fell into that category that they couldn't move their medicines.

The same happened with diabetes. The high end used to be something like a fasting blood glucose was considered normal at 130 and under,then they lowered it to 120 and now my doc says 110 is the high end for normal blood sugar.

I think that personally, I'm not going to worry too much about it.

Delissa-- I think you've hit the nail on the head. It's just one big society-wide rip-off. The drug companies have both the money and the clout to influence changes which will result in billions of dollars more in profits! And you are right in that they also peddled similar lies in regards to the cholesterol fiasco!

Originally posted by ARIZONA73:
Delissa-- I think you've hit the nail on the head. It's just one big society-wide rip-off. The drug companies have both the money and the clout to influence changes which will result in billions of dollars more in profits! And you are right in that they also peddled similar lies in regards to the cholesterol fiasco!

I agree , this just sounds like a big rip off for everybody . How is anybody going to stay within "THEIR" so called guidelines , it's absolutly ridiculous . If I can stay below 140/90 that's all I'm going to worry about . We have better things to worry about than to worry 24 hours a day if your blood pressure is below some numbers that the drug companies dreamed up , they will show you these studies and we all know who funds most of these studies . This is a big win for the druggies , lets see millions more on these drugs at my cost of $35 a month , that's a pretty good chunk of change .

Vipergg22-- I agree. It almost seems as if they want the entire country on some sort of medication, doesn't it? Now, if you have ever read any of Atkins' books, he convincingly points out the motives that are behind such slick salesmanship. It's all about money, and big sales profits for the drug industry!

totally agree.. this was the first thing that crossed my mind.. drug company crap..

don't believe everything they say..

they also say ALTACE is a super great drug with very minor side effects.. ha ha ha..

F.

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (from whom the new bp information comes from) doesnt manufacture or distribute any blood pressure medicines. And I dont think they are corruptable. The new information comes from a trustworthy source.

[This message has been edited by jasongeathers (edited 05-15-2003).]

[This message has been edited by jasongeathers (edited 05-15-2003).]

yeah.. whatever.. so now i am expected to believe that 95 percent of humans have HBP.. what a f__king joke..

F.

The Government came out with these reports not the drug companies..on the note about cholesterol..I just got my blood work back...I eat salmon and chicken and tuna, fruit, veggies and nuts all week long..i am considered a health nut by everyone that knows me..I workout with weights and run 6 days a week. I don't smoke, I do drink wine with dinner every night and sometimes a martini and yet my cholesterol was 265..but get this my HDLs which are the good kind that prevent heart issues was 75 and my bad which causes heart issues was 172..normal to healthy HDLs should be up to 50 now clearly I am way past that which is phenomonal..but what the heck is the deal with that LDL level?..Sometimes I think we are better off staying away from the doctors..ignorance is bliss..i want accurate numbers not all this mumbo jumbo and then they go and change things on us after all these years of thinking one way..well anyway thanks for the vent session guys..Lisa

It is true that the drug companies do not have the authority to set new guidlines. However, please keep in mind that these corporations do have a tremendous amount of money to spread around, and they do make rather significant political contributions. Why would they do this, if not for the very obvious reason that they expect some form of payback, usually in the form of increased drug sales and profits.

Oh Arizona..I totally agree with everything on this post..it is all a scam and all about money...have a great weekend all, Lisa

I felt seriously defeated when I read the new guidelines for blood pressure!! I'm still struggling just to maintain a 120/80 (and not doing well at the moment). I don't think I'm going to sweat it after that, though. I will not allow the doc to put me on more BP meds to make me depressed, lethargic and fat (which only makes matters worse). I'll bet my bp is even higher just from worrying over the new guidelines!! Give me break!

I heard a report saying these new blood pressure guidelines only apply if you have another disease.

I too was disheartened when I read the article about the new levels as I am struggling to maintain 120/80. Almost makes you want to throw in the towel. I figure there are three groups that will benefit from this study. 1. the drug companies because now they can sell more drugs, 2. the insurance companies because now more people will fall into a "high risk" category, therefore, the insurance companies can also charge a "high risk" premium and 3. the doctors.

Does anyone know how funded these studies?

Hi everybody-

Okay. Here's the scoop.

Before we get deeper into conspiracy theories, this report was issued by the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. (it's the 7th report they've issued over the years)

This is a Government funded study.

The guidelines were prepared by a special committee of the NHBPEP, (National High Blood Pressure Education Program) which represents 46 professional, voluntary, and Federal organizations, and reviewed by 33 national hypertension experts and policy leaders. The NHBPEP issues new guidelines when warranted by scientific advances. The last guidelines were issued in November 1997.

The pharmaceutical companies are NOT part of this picture.

Funding came from various sources: The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Resources, including The NIH (National Institutes of Health), and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.


The 6th report was issued back in 1997, and it's the one we ALL have been using ...

These are the SAME PEOPLE whose guidelines we're following now.

They are not the enemy!
They have simply revamped their own guidelines.

The Committee, since 1997 have periodically reviewed emerging new findings (that's what we pay taxes for).

Eventually they decided that new information accumulated since '97 demanded a 7th report.

The decision to appoint a new committtee was based on four things:
1) Publication of many new hypertension observational studies and clinical trials.

2) The need for new, clear and more concise guidelines for our doctors (and us!)

3)Need to simplify classification of Blood Pressure

4)The recognition that the other Joint Nat. Committee Reports were not being used to maximum benefit for patients.


The way I see it is that if your pressure is in the new "prehypertension" range, it it still "normal" but not "optimal"...and that we should no longer be complacent simply taking meds but incorporate more lifestyle changes into our lives...reduce salt intake, regular exercise, lose weight etc.

Basically the report is saying that if, let's say, your BP is 130/82, the doc should no longer say, "perfect"....but instead ask us to be more vigilent with our lifestyle choices, to help bring the #s down further if possible.

It would not necessarily entail upping the drugs.

So there you have it.
My two cents....(for what it's worth!)

zuzu xxxxxx


[This message has been edited by zuzu8 (edited 05-20-2003).]

[This message has been edited by zuzu8 (edited 05-20-2003).]

so, in essence.. 95 percent of humans have HBP . Pre-HBp.. whatever the new buzzword is..

This cannot be right.. PERIOD.

F.

Flamaest- They're not saying "pre-hypertension" IS "hypertension". Nor are they implying that "pre"will inevitably lead to hypertension!

The new guidelines are simply saying below 120/80 is optimal.
Anything up to 139/89 is still considered "normal" but simply to be watched more religiously.

I freaked when I first saw the article about all this in the paper....

But then I read the report...(THAT was fun..) And basically it states that people in the normal range should now definitely incorporate more lifestyle changes into their lives...reduce salt intake, regular exercise, lose weight etc.

Most doctors until now have not been addressing this at all. That's all. And now they (and we) should.

We, as all the hypertension experts on this latest study have discovered, are STILL a nation that develops cardiovascular disease and its complications (for instance, stroke) even though we are in the so-called "normal" range.

Hence the new Guidelines.

zuzu xxx

[This message has been edited by zuzu8 (edited 06-27-2003).]

I'm sure every doctor in the USA would LOVE to get every person in the USA in weekly to "monitor" the blood pressure.

The docs have found some silly diddle they can do and they all have their mercury sphgmomanometers and stethoscopes to impress us (I wonder if they know how much they look like Groucho Marx with that silly neck ware- Like a nun's rosary?). I guess they wear stethescopes to family gatherings too. Truth be told those MD's can be replaced by a more competent $49.95 self inflating digital tester, that doesn't have to be paid $100 for each reading.

Bet in countries where there is universal health care and salaried doctors, they'd be quite happy if everyone with 150/95 stayed home and thus would issue guidlines saying this is a perfectly healthy level.

When everyone is declared sick with multiple diseases look for VERY VERY VERY rich doctors. All the blame need not be laid at the hands of the drug companies.

I'm not having a great deal of luck finding this avalanche of convincing studies that confirm this oft reported horror of HBP>>>>early death from heart disease.
Some decent evidence for increased hemmorhagic stroke but not at levels of 145/95.


I guess soon we can look for PERFECT 120/80 and some brilliant huckster will come up with treatment options for dangerously LOW blood pressure, like anything below 119/79. That would then leave 11 people in the USA without medication....probably AMISH http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif.

Gimmick after that: SEE YOUR DOCTOR AT THE FIRST SIGN OF HEADACHE!




[This message has been edited by zip2play (edited 06-27-2003).]