Lower BP may be good for you

SHOULD we aim for a lower blood pressure than what is currently recommended? The debate on blood pressure rages on again as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) announced the initial results of an important trial, the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), in September 2015. The study involved the adjustment of blood pressure medication to achieve a systolic blood pressure or SBP (upper blood pressure reading) value of 120 millimetres of mercury (mm Hg) in a group of adults who were 50 years or older.

Compared to the currently recommended target systolic blood pressure level of 140 mm Hg, intensive medication to reduce systolic blood pressure to 120 mm Hg reduced heart complications and stroke by almost one third and reduced the risk of death by almost a quarter.

Objective signs of heart stress