New Guidelines Suggested for Monitoring Blood Pressure

In a major overhaul that could see a sharp decrease in the number of new cases treated for high blood pressure, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has suggested new guidelines for monitoring the blood pressure of patients. Currently, a person is treated for high blood pressure if the systolic blood pressure is higher than 140mmHg and the diastolic blood pressure is over 90mmHg. According to latest figures, around 30 percent of the total population in England was treated for high blood pressure in 2008.

However the new guidelines by Nice suggests that if the blood pressure is higher than 140/90 mmHg, then doctors should check the ambulatory blood pressure (taking blood pressure when walking) or home blood pressure.

Says Leicester University’s Professor Bryan Williams who worked on the guidelines, “This new approach would not only improve diagnosis but would ultimately be cost-saving for the NHS.”




Source-Medindia