Ask The Doctors: May 2013

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By our most recent guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of hypertension, your blood pressure barely makes it into the prehypertensive range, defined by a systolic blood pressure (SBP) between 120 and 139. As you suggested, the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) < 80 is normal. I assume from your note that you have never been diagnosed with hypertension, and that you are not currently on medications for it. My first suggestion is to please be reassured that your blood pressure readings are not worrisome. To consider the systolic reading high and in some way a dangerous finding would certainly be an overinterpretation of the data. If I were seeing you in my clinic, I wouldnt even consider placing you on antihypertensive medication.
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