Soundbites: Whose BP guidance to follow?

Since the American College of Cardiology issued blood-pressure recommendations last November, it’s been a puzzle to decide which threshold to aim for. Cardiologists will say 130/80. Other organizations suggest 150/90 or 140/90. What is a patient to do?

May 17 is World Hypertension Awareness Day and May is Blood Pressure Education Month.  Here, UW Medicine cardiologist Dr. Eugene Yang talks about the nuances of the recommendations – such as patients' varying goals as they age. He also stresses that each patient should get their blood pressure checked twice at an office visit, once when they walk in and again five minutes later. The difference can be surprising.

Yang discusses the topic in this downloadable video segment.