Millions more just got high blood pressure

New York

NEW guidelines issued by US medical societies have expanded the definition of hypertension for the first time in 14 years, classifying 30 million more Americans as having high blood pressure. The change means almost half of the nation's adults, or 103 million people, are technically classified as having hypertension, up from one-third. But don't worry too much - if you are one of the newly initiated, the experts are not suggesting anything radical. Just take some common sense steps to avoid future cardiovascular complications.

The update by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (AHA) is based on a three-year review of almost 1,000 studies. A healthier diet and more exercise, unsurprisingly, are the primary recommendations for those who fall into the new category of stage 1 hypertension, previously called "pre-hypertension" or "high-normal blood pressure", said Paul Whelton, chair of global public health at the Tulane University School of Public Health and lead author of the guidelines.