Million Hearts Colorado: Prehypertension Found to Increase Risk of Stroke

Having even slightly high blood pressure may substantially increase a person’s risk of having a stroke, new research shows.

The research, a review of 12 studies that included more than half a million people, found that adults who had prehypertension -- meaning systolic blood pressure (the top number) between 120 and 139 or diastolic blood pressure pressure (the bottom number) between 80 and 89 -- had a 55% increased risk of having a stroke compared to adults whose blood pressure fell within the normal range.

“Across the board, whether we looked at race, ethnicity, or sex, there was this higher risk of stroke if you were diagnosed with prehypertension,” says researcher Bruce Ovbiagele, MD, a neuroscience professor and director of the Stroke Center at the University of California at San Diego.

The risks associated with prehypertension were even higher, however, for young and middle-aged adults, and for those who fell in the upper end of the prehypertensive range.

Read more HERE. 

High blood pressure management and prevention are a key strategies of the  Million Hearts Initiative, an effort to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over five years.  Colorado participates in this initiative and you can too. Be one in a million - make your commitment and pledge today.