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Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. In San Antonio, nearly 40% of Latino adults have been diagnosed with hypertension, along with 28% of non-Hispanic white adults, according to 2020 statistics from the Texas Department of State Health Services shared by the League of United Latin American Citizens.
The American Heart Association aims to reduce those numbers with its new guidelines for healthcare practitioners that focus on prevention and early intervention.
The guidelines encourage everyone to assess their risk for cardiovascular disease with an online calculator called PREVENT. They also promote healthy lifestyle choices, such as good nutrition, regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight.
The guidelines urge early intervention when a person’s blood pressure starts to climb, which may include medication in addition to lifestyle changes.
Pregnancy is singled out as a time when close management of blood pressure is crucial. Blood pressure-related disorders are the leading cause of pregnancy-related death and occur in around one in six deliveries. The new guidelines stress that high blood pressure before, during, and after pregnancy is important to monitor and treat quickly to reduce the risk of serious short and long-term complications, including preeclampsia, which is new-onset high blood pressure that happens during pregnancy.
For everyone else, high blood pressure is the leading preventable risk factor for cardiovascular complications, including heart attack, stroke, and heart failure, according to the AHA. It can also contribute to declines in cognitive function and dementia.
The Heart Association most recently updated its blood pressure guidelines in 2017.
