A new study on the predictors for heart trouble turns a couple of numbers on their head, not to mention flipping conventional wisdom. It's been known for decades that blood pressure is a key predictor of the risk for heart attack or other cardiac problems.
Blood pressure is really two measurements, systolic and diastolic.
Until recently, doctors thought that an elevated bottom number was the better warning sign of future trouble. Johns Hopkins assistant professor of medicine Dr. Redonda Miller. I think this study is enough to change the way we think about blood pressure monitoring. Certainly if a patient presents and has just an elevation in their systolic pressure, we should take that very seriously and that is an indication for treatment. Still, researchers say that the most accurate predictor is a blood pressure reading that factors in both numbers.