High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects billions of people worldwide and is one of the biggest causes of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and early death.
Because high blood pressure usually causes no obvious symptoms, many people do not realise they have it until serious health problems develop. This is why regular blood pressure checks and effective treatment are so important.
A blood pressure reading contains two numbers. The top number, called systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure inside the arteries when the heart pumps blood around the body. The bottom number, called diastolic blood pressure, measures the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats.
For many years, doctors have believed that both numbers were equally important when deciding how to treat high blood pressure.
However, new research suggests that the systolic number may deserve much more attention than the diastolic number. The study was led by researchers from NUI Galway and other international institutions and was published in the journal Circulation.
The team analysed health information from more than 47,000 people from several countries to better understand how different blood pressure levels affect health.
One of the main questions the researchers wanted to answer was whether lowering the diastolic blood pressure too much could increase the risk of heart problems. This concern has influenced blood pressure treatment for many years because some doctors worried that very low diastolic pressure might reduce blood flow to the heart.
After analysing the results, the researchers found no convincing evidence that a lower diastolic blood pressure caused harm. Instead, they found that reducing the systolic blood pressure was consistently linked with better health outcomes.
These findings suggest that lowering the top number may provide the greatest protection against heart attacks, strokes, and other serious cardiovascular diseases.
Based on their findings, the researchers suggest that doctors should aim for a systolic blood pressure between 100 and 130 millimetres of mercury (mmHg) for many patients receiving treatment.
They believe there may be less reason to worry if the diastolic number falls lower than previously recommended, provided patients are carefully monitored by their healthcare team.
Although these findings could influence future treatment guidelines, preventing high blood pressure remains just as important as treating it. Maintaining a healthy body weight, eating plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy products, while limiting foods high in salt, can help keep blood pressure under control.
Regular physical activity, avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol, and managing stress through relaxation techniques can also support healthy blood pressure.
Because hypertension often develops silently, regular blood pressure checks remain one of the best ways to detect problems early. Early diagnosis allows treatment to begin before serious damage occurs to the heart, brain, kidneys, and blood vessels. Medicines can be very effective when needed, especially when combined with healthy lifestyle habits.
This research provides new evidence that could change how doctors think about blood pressure treatment. While both numbers remain useful, the systolic reading may be the stronger guide for reducing future health risks.
As scientists continue studying hypertension, these findings may help improve treatment strategies and give millions of people better protection against the complications of high blood pressure.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more health information, please see recent studies about How to eat your way to healthy blood pressure and results showing that Modified traditional Chinese cuisine can lower blood pressure.
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