The Risk of High-Normal Blood Pressure

Weak blood pressure elevations, which are still in the normal range, improve the risk of heart damage of young adults in later life, according to researchers from John Hopkins, who followed 2500 people over a period of 25 years.

Blood pressure is considered high-normal when it is just below 140/90 mmHg, the threshold of hypertension. New study suggests that having blood pressure right below the threshold starts fuelling heart damage in young people and may lead to changes in heart muscle function that may result in heart failure in middle age.

High-normal blood pressure may lead to two forms of heart failure:
1. progressive weakinening of heart muscle
2. loss of blood-pumping ability

Normal changes with age

Study says the heart is more sensitive to the effects of even subtle elevations in blood pressure that was thought earlier and the threshold for „normal" is probably changing with age. While 150/90 may be acceptable for a 60-year old, it is probably too high for a 28-year old.
The medical checkups of 2500 young adults had been followed for 25 years and results show that high-normal blood pressure may be too high and far from normal for some people. In addition, those with highest diastolic pressure were 70 percent more likely to develop signs of abnormal heart muscle relaxation.

Heart failure caused by hypertension is a common but preventable disease with early recognition, diet, life-style change or medication.

Check you blood pressure regularly however young you are!

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