Ideal blood pressure is usually thought to be around 120/80 or lower. A new study of veterans with chronic kidney disease suggests that their optimal blood pressure may be slightly higher, 130 to 159 systolic and 70 to 89 diastolic. The study entailed a review of more than 650,000 patient recods during a seven-year time span.
Lowering diastolic pressure below 70 had a negative effect on survival. Patients with somewhat high systolic blood pressure whose treated diastolic pressure did not drop below 70 had a lower mortality rate.
[Annals of Internal Medicine, Aug. 20, 2013]
Previous studies have shown that monitoring blood pressure at home can assist with better control. Anyone interested in nondrug approaches to lowering blood pressure may wish to consult our Guide to Blood Pressure Treatment.
