Healthy Living: New guidelines put nearly half the US population in hypertension category

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — You may have hypertension, even if your blood pressure reading was considered perfectly normal just days ago.         

The rules have changed when it comes to who has high blood pressure but never fear. There are things we can do to lower our blood pressure without medication. 

Related Link: Number of adults with high blood pressure up after new guidelines

Eleven health organizations published new guidelines Monday that lower the threshold for what is considered high blood pressure.

The parameters indicate patients should now be treated when blood pressure reaches 130 over 80.

Those numbers used to be considered normal. Treatment was not previously indicated until blood pressure reached 140 over 90. 

Under the new guidelines, 103 million Americans, or 46 percent of the population, have hypertension.

That’s 31 million more Americans than under the old definition. 

According to the report, most of the newly diagnosed patients will not need medication. They can manage their blood pressure through lifestyle changes like exercise and diet.

Jessica Spiro is a registered dietician and she joined KUSI’s Sandra Maas to share some simple ways to lower your blood pressure.