What’s considered ‘high’ blood pressure may be different for women and men, new research reveals - WTOP

New findings suggest healthy blood pressure numbers may differ for women and men, and a Northern Virginia cardiologist wants women to learn more about their specific situations and consult with their doctors.

Traditionally, 120 over 80 has been considered the normal upper limit for adult systolic blood pressure, but a study from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai evaluated data from more than 27,000 people and found that women may have a lower “normal” blood pressure range.

“While men had a correlation between high blood pressure and heart disease at a higher number, like 120 or 140, women had increased risk of heart disease even with a blood pressure as low as 100 or 110,” Berger said.

Berger finds studies, such as this one evaluating blood pressure and heart disease risk, very important because it may change how doctors tailor medical practices to different groups of people, particularly women?

Many drugstores have free kiosks for checking blood pressure numbers.

Berger recommends checking blood pressure at different times during the day to get a sense of how it changes.

You can learn more about high blood pressure on the American Heart Association website.