Daily HealthBeat Tip

Grandma's blood pressure

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Many of us are living healthy, active lives into the grandparent and great-grandparent years � our 80s and older � unaware of a hidden threat that can take all that away.

The threat is high blood pressure, which can lead to dangerous conditions such as heart attack, stroke or kidney failure. And a new study says a lot of older people have high blood pressure without realizing it.

Researcher Donald Lloyd-Jones of Northwestern University did the study with support from the National Institutes of Health. His research was in the Journal of the American Medical Association:

"Fewer than 10 percent of people over age 80 years actually have normal blood pressure levels, which is defined as less than 120 and less than 80 millimeters of mercury, top and bottom numbers." (10 seconds)

Lloyd-Jones says it�s vital for older people to get their blood pressure checked.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: September 21, 2005

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