Bullshit and humbug. Talk about medicalizing normal human variations. Bet the makers of BP drugs are just lickin’ their chops, smellin’ new sales.

Both flyer and spdrun are correct. For years, 120/80 was optimal. Before that, they even considered 100+your age as decent for the systolic (top) number. They’ve changed the acceptable levels over the years.

IMHO, it is all about the pharmaceutical/healthcare industry trying to create more patients with “chronic” conditions that need to be “treated.”

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What Is a Normal Blood Pressure Reading?

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has suggested the risk of cardiovascular disease can be reduced even more by lowering blood pressure in people whose readings are already 120/80 or less. I don’t know if the blood pressure guidelines will be lowered again, but it will be interesting to watch how it all plays out.

http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/normal-blood-pressure-reading/

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From December 2013:

New guidelines suggest that people over 60 can have a higher blood pressure than previously recommended before starting treatment to lower it. The advice, criticized by some physicians, changes treatment goals that have been in place for more than 30 years.

Until now, people were told to strive for blood pressures below 140/90, with some taking multiple drugs to achieve that goal. But the guidelines committee, which spent five years reviewing evidence, concluded that the goal for people over 60 should be a systolic pressure of less than 150. And the diastolic goal should remain less than 90.

I had bp of 110/68 the other day and was told it was “excellent”.

I know age plays into it as well… tends to rise a bit as you get into your 40’s and up. (I was 110/65 consistently through my 30’s… then it started being more like 125/85)

I agree that the change in “standards” is probably related to a push by big pharma. I will *never* go on cholesteral or bp medicine unless there is a specific underlying condition they can thoroughly explain. (They still can’t explain *why* high cholesteral is bad – just the statistical risk.) Fortunately, my cholesteral tends to be low, also.

How about cutting salt intake and see the result?

My dad drastically cut his salt intake at age 70. He’s now 84 and has never taken any BP or cholesterol medication. I don’t see why he won’t live to 100 which is only 16 years away.

I think that we get way too much salt in out food. Cavemen got very little salt, if you believe the Paleo diet.

[quote=FlyerInHi]How about cutting salt intake and see the result?

My dad drastically cut his salt intake at age 70. He’s now 84 and has never taken any BP or cholesterol medication. I don’t see why he won’t live to 100 which is only 16 years away.

I think that we get way too much salt in out food. Cavemen got very little salt, if you believe the Paleo diet.[/quote]

Interesting analysis of many studies – suggests that sodium consumption of average American within healthy boundaries and that CDC recommendations may be unhealthfully low.
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20140402/cdc-salt-guidelines-too-low-for-good-health-study-suggests

Once again – even though I am a science-y type, I am hesitant to believe the conventional wisdom. There are too many people out there who want to publish data that support popular beliefs (finally some accurate info is coming out about saturated fats, too).

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/03/17/290846811/dont-fear-the-fat-experts-question-saturated-fat-guidelines

The truth is likely to be much more complicated than “exercise + veggies + self discipline = long life.” I would be more likely to believe someone who said that “exercise + moderate consumption of preservatives (some of which are antioxidants) + a smidge of gin = long life.” It would be more believable to me because it wouldn’t be designed to feed in to the self righteousness that we see (ahem) in some places.

Well, I think that different people have different tolerances.

But if your doctor says you have high blood pressure, then you might want to try reducing salt intake first.

Doctors and scientists have knowledge but they don’t implement it much more than the average person. Also, scientific studies focus on 1 or just several control factors. They can’t possibly study on whole lifestyles. Food is so culturally ingrained that a doctor from Japan and a doctor from the Middle East would recommend different things.

One of my long time friend is a doc. He looks 20 years older than me. If it was easy, then doctors would outlive the general population.

In your original post, you said you were “pre-hypertensi[ve] according to the doctors.” Now you say “I don’t have a regular doctor, but if I did I’m pretty sure he would say my blood pressure is fine.” Which is it?