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Article: Taking control of high blood pressure: a new campaign focuses the spotlight on the national crisis of hypertension and sheds light on simple measures that you can take to reduce risk.(Heart beat: the healthy heart report)
- Article from:
- The Saturday Evening Post
- Article date:
- November 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Saturday Evening Post Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Last spring, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) issued new recommendations, representing a major shift in federal guidelines on what is considered "normal" blood pressure. About 45 million people with blood pressures of 120 over 80--once considered normal--found themselves in a newly classified prehypertensive class. The recommendations reflected ongoing scientific studies demonstrating the increased risk of heart attacks, kidney disease, and stroke at blood pressure lower than previously thought.
"The guidelines call attention to the fact that blood pressure needs to be below 140/90 and that people who have blood pressure between 120/80 and ...