New Guidelines Shift Blood Pressure Goals

Long-awaited new guidelines allow slightly higher blood pressure for people over 60 and those with some conditions. These are the first new guidelines since 2003. An expert panel wrote them. Other experts reviewed them. For the first time, they are based as much as possible on randomized controlled trials. Such studies are considered the highest standard of evidence. They assign similar people to different treatments or a placebo (fake). If these studies were lacking, the guidelines relied on expert opinion. The new guidelines recommend treating blood pressure in people ages 60 and older if it is above 150/90. For people ages 30 through 59, the goal remains less than 140/90. For this group, only the goal for diastolic pressure (the second number, 90) is based on evidence. The systolic goal (the first number) is based on expert opinion.