High blood pressure, also sometimes referred to as hypertension, is one of the risk factors for both cardiovascular -- CVD or heart disease -- and stroke. It’s generally accepted that maintaining normal blood pressure, or lowering high blood pressure to acceptable levels, decreases your risk of heart-related diseases or stroke.
According to new research, maintaining normal blood pressure levels during middle-age may be more important than previously thought, especially as it relates to your overall lifetime risk of heart disease.
In a study led by Norrina Allen, PhD, researchers examined the effect of blood pressure changes during middle age on the lifetime risk of developing heart disease. Allen is an assistant professor in the Department of Preventative Medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois.
Researchers obtained their data from the Cardiovascular Lifetime Risk Pooling Project. In all, researchers examined data from more than 61,500 Pooling Project participants.
For purposes of this study, researchers defined age 55 as the middle-age mid-point. Using a baseline blood pressure reading, researchers followed participants’ blood pressure changes for 14 years until the mid-point age of 55 years was reached.
After age 55, researchers continued to follow participants’ blood pressure changes until one of the following milestone events occurred: first stroke, heart attack, or other cardiovascular-related event, participant death, or age 95.
Researchers found that participants who maintained normal blood pressure levels during middle-age enjoyed a lower overall lifetime risk of heart disease than their counterparts with higher than normal blood pressure. Participants with normal blood pressure were found to have a lifetime risk of heart-related disease of 22 to 41 percent compared to 44 to 69 percent lifetime risk for participants with high blood pressure.
With respect to women in particular, researchers found that blood pressure levels in women tended to increase more during middle-age. Women with high blood pressure at age 55 were found to have a lifetime risk of a cardiac-related event of almost 50 percent.
The study results serve to underscore the need to maintain healthy blood pressure levels, or lower high blood pressure, to acceptable levels during the middle-age years. Medications may be required to lower or control high blood pressure levels.
However, simple lifestyle changes can also help you manage your blood pressure. These include lifestyle changes include:
• Dietary changes such as limiting the amount of salt in your diet, eating more fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods. The DASH or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is a good place to begin for guidance on a blood pressure friendly diet.
• Maintain a wealthy weight.
• Limit the amount of alcohol your drink to no more than one per day for women or two for men.
• Engage in at least 30 minutes of exercise or physical activity on a daily basis.
• Quit smoking.
• Take action to reduce stress.
Complete study results were published in the December 19, 2011 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Sources:
American Heart Association (2011, December 19). Middle-age blood pressure changes affect lifetime heart disease, stroke risk. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 28, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219203849.htm
Middle-age blood pressure changes affect lifetime heart disease, stroke risk. American Heart Association. 19 Dec 2011. http://newsroom.heart.org/pr/aha/middle-age-blood-pressure-changes-220798.aspx
Norrina Allen, Jarett D. Berry, Hongyan Ning, Linda Van Horn, Alan Dyer, Donald M. Lloyd-Jones. Impact of Blood Pressure and Blood Pressure Changes During Middle Age on the Remaining Lifetime Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: The Cardiovascular Lifetime Risk Pooling Project. CIRCULATIONAHA.110.002774 Published online before print December 19, 2011, doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.002774
High Blood Pressure. The Mayo Clinic. 22 March 2011. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/DS00100/DSECTION=lifestyle-and-home-remedies
Reviewed December 29, 2011
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith