Hypertension is well established as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). It was previously diagnosed as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥90 mmHg.
New guidelines for Blood Pressure Categories
However, the definition of hypertension has been tightened in 2017. The latest guidelines from the American Heart Association lowered the numbers for the diagnosis of hypertension (high blood pressure) to 130/80 mm Hg (SBP) or 80 mm Hg (DBP) and higher for all adults.
|
Blood Pressure Category |
Systolic（mm Hg） |
Diastolic（mm Hg） |
||
|
Normal |
Less than 120 |
And |
Less than 80 |
|
|
Elevated |
120-129 |
And |
Less than 80 |
|
|
High Blood Pressure, Hypertension（stage 1） |
130-139 |
Or |
80-89 |
|
|
High Blood Pressure, Hypertension（stage 2） |
140 or higher |
Or |
90 or higher |
|
|
Hypertensive Crisis (Consult Your Doctor Immediately) |
Higher than 180 |
And/or |
Higher than 120 |
|
|
Source: American Heart Association (AHA) 2017 |
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What are these numbers mean?
Systolic blood pressure indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls when the heartbeats.
Diastolic blood pressure indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls while the heart is resting between beats.
When the heart pumps, it instantly releases a large amount of blood into the arteries, forming a higher pressure, which is called systolic blood pressure. When the blood vessels dilate due to their elasticity, thereby generate pressure to continue to push the blood forward. This pressure is diastolic blood pressure.
In most people, systolic blood pressure rises steadily with age due to the increasing stiffness of large arteries, long-term build-up of plaque, and an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, most people who have high blood pressure do not have symptoms. Hence, it’s important to get your blood pressure checked during your yearly health screening. Severe hypertension can cause serious health issues, so the sooner you have it diagnosed, the sooner it can be managed, possibly even reversed.
In Malaysia, the prevalence of hypertension among adults is as high as 30%, which means every 1 in 3 adults has high blood pressure. Only 50% of them knew that they have high blood pressure, and only one-third of them were treated and had controlled blood pressure. 1,2 These findings were based on the previous cut-off before the new guidelines on high blood pressure were released, which means that in fact, more Malaysian adults are hypertension without knowing!
Prevent high blood pressure
As the saying goes: “Prevention is better than cure!”
To maintain healthy blood pressure, it is necessary to maintain adequate physical activities such as walking, swimming, housework, Tai Chi, and so on. Have a balanced and low-salt diet, quit smoking, limit alcohol consumption, and manage stress well. All of these are essential to help to prevent high blood pressure.
Reference:
1Institute for Public Health (IPH), National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia. 2020. National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019: Vol. I: NCDs – Non-Communicable Diseases: Risk Factors and other Health Problems
2Soo MJ, Chow ZY, Ching SM, Tan CH, Lee KW, Devaraj NK, Salim HS, Ramachandran V, Lim PY, Sivaratnam D, Hoo FK, Cheong AT, Chia YC. Prevalence, awareness and control of hypertension in Malaysia from 1980-2018: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World J Meta-Anal 2020; 8(4): 320-344
