The American Heart Association just released new high blood pressure guidelines. The new guidelines for high blood pressure is 130/80. So, more people will be diagnosed with high blood pressure. What this means for patients and caregivers? More patients will now be diagnosed with high blood pressure and encouraged to make lifestyle changes and/or modify their current medication regimen.

Some people may wonder why the new guidelines are necessary. They are necessary because the sooner a person is made aware that they have high blood pressure the less end organ damage they will experience. More people can start to be aware of the need to make diet and exercise changes in their life before catastrophic events happens such as blindness, kidney failure, or impotence.

Hopefully, these new guidelines will wake people up to the problem of high blood pressure and more lives will be saved.