bloodpressure

I found an article on Science Daily Science Daily (press release):

“Exercise is highly recommended for reducing blood pressure and is part of prevention and treatment programs for an estimated 90 percent of adults in the United States who eventually develop hypertension,” says exercise physiologist Kerry J. The systolic reading (the “upper” number in a blood pressure test), measures the maximum pressure as the heart contracts, while the diastolic reading (the “lower” number) measures the force when the heart is at rest, between beats. Most participants had systolic hypertension, when the systolic blood pressure is high and the diastolic blood pressure is normal. However, reductions in blood pressure were mixed, with both program exercisers and the non-exercising group lowering systolic blood pressure measurements by 5.3 mm/Hg and 4.5 mm/Hg. Arterial stiffening causes higher systolic blood pressure rather than higher diastolic blood pressure, and older people may be resistant to reducing their systolic blood pressure even though they made substantial gains in fitness with exercise training, he adds. “Older people should still be encouraged to exercise because it produces numerous health benefits, but their expectations need to be modified about how much good the exercise alone will do for reducing systolic blood pressure. “Alternatively, older persons may need to get started sooner on medications to immediately bring blood pressure under control, rather than relying strictly on exercise, although a comparison of exercise to drugs requires further study. Normal blood pressure was most recently defined in 2003 by a national advisory committee to the United States Department of Health and Human Services as systolic pressure of 120 mm/Hg or greater, and/or a diastolic pressure of 80 mm/Hg or greater.

From Times Online.

The top number (the systolic) is the pressure in the arteries as the heart pumps blood. ‘High blood pressure is the biggest cause of death and illness because it can cause strokes and heart attacks,’ says Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at St George’s hospital, London. Every adult should know their number - it’s much more important than knowing your weight.’ Hypertension - the medical term for high blood pressure - can be controlled with drugs, though it is likely to be a lifetime prescription. Blood pressure varies all the time and increases with age. I’ve always read 120/80 is optimal blood pressure until I read this week in the media it’s now dropped 110?

Here’s a peek at the latest news from Forbes:

FRIDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) — Combining two drugs that act in different ways to block activity of a molecule called angiotensin II brings about a steeper reduction in high blood pressure than using either drug alone, a new study finds. Combined therapy using diuretics — drugs that are available in inexpensive generic form — has been found to produce satisfactory blood pressure control in most people. The two drugs used in the study were valsartan (Diovan), which blocks the cell receptors on which angiotensin acts, and aliskiren (Tekturna), which blocks the molecular pathway for production of angiotensin II. Blood pressure was reduced by an average of 12.2 points in those getting the higher doses of combined therapy, compared to a 9-point reduction for those getting Tekturna alone, a 9.7-point reduction for those getting Diovan alone, and 4.1 points for those taking placebo.