Senior Spotlight: Do You Know The NEW Blood Pressure Guidelines

Today’s Senior Spotlight topic applies to virtually everyone one of us at some point in our lives – blood pressure management. Nearly 50% of Americans have high blood pressure, and it is the #1 risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Over 70% of those aged 60 and older suffer from hypertension, yet only 1 in 4 have it under control. 

We share this data not to scare you, but to empower you that the risk is real – but so is the response. The American Heart Association & American College of Cardiology released a  new set of guidelines in August 2025 for prevention and management of high blood pressure, based on a comprehensive analysis of research and documentation published in the last decade. 

Please note that this information is NOT a substitute for medical advice and this article is for informational purposes only. We are summarizing some of the key points below and encourage you to talk with your doctor soon about what this new information means for you. 

#1: The definition of hypertension has changed – the criteria are stricter, target blood pressures are lower, and the category of “prehypertension” has been removed (and now described as “elevated” blood pressure). 

#2: High blood pressure is linked to not just stroke and heart disease, but also an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Thus, prevention of high blood pressure is identified as critical to brain health as well as cardiovascular health. 

#3: The new guidelines encourage providers to use a risk calculator, called PREVENT (Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease EVENTS), an advanced tool which accounts for individual risk factors and a more tailored treatment plan. 

#4:  A specific diet called DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is now recommended by the new guidelines. This emphasis on fruits, vegetables, low-fat/nonfat dairy and whole grains plus the new indication for increased physical activity advocate the necessity for lifestyle changes. 

#5:  Other key components of hypertension prevention and management are learning and adopting stress management techniques, screening for excessive aldosterone (an adrenal gland malfunction that contributes to inflammation and fibrosis of the heart) and utilizing the ‘Life’s Essential 8’ checklist. 

WOW! Have you learned a lot about high blood pressure? Are you armed with new information to ask your doctor about? Do you know if your current treatment plan is based on current findings if you are a hypertension patient? 

May you find the answers to these questions and more as you journey towards living longer & living better! 

Cheers to healthy hearts, brains & bodies,

Bobbi 

Resources Used: New Advances in Managing Hypertension, Top 10 Things to Know About the New AHA/ACC High Blood Pressure Guideline, Under new guidelines, more Americans meet the criteria for high blood pressure

Bobbi Decker
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