The findings challenge assumptions that high diastolic pressure is the more pervasive problem among people with high blood pressure. Dr. Stanley Franklin, professor of medicine , led a research team that found that 80 percent of participants age 50 or older who had high blood pressure, or hypertension, had systolic readings that were higher than normal but did not have high diastolic readings. Franklin s findings were recently presented at an annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Anaheim. We were surprised to find so many patients with this pattern of blood pressure readings, Franklin said. Our data shows that physicians need to pay closer attention to systolic blood pressure when treating patients for hypertension.
Hypertension is considered a major risk factor for heart and kidney disease and stroke.
Normal blood pressure is considered to be less than 140 millimeters over 90 millimeters when measured with a blood pressure device. The researchers found that among participants aged 50 and older, about 80 percent had systolic blood pressure higher than 140 but had diastolic pressures below 90. The study is part of Franklin s ongoing research on cardiovascular disease, currently the leading cause of death in the United States. He and his colleagues are continuing to look for ways to detect the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as methods of preventing hypertension.