The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology have put out new guidelines for treating high blood pressure. It’s the first time the guidelines have been revised since 2017. As 46.7 percent of adults in the U.S. struggle with their blood pressure, it is a cause for concern.
“High blood pressure is the most common and most modifiable risk factor for heart disease,” said Chair of the guideline writing committee Dr. Daniel Jones, dean and professor emeritus of the Univ. of Mississippi School of Medicine. “By addressing individual risks earlier and offering more tailored strategies across the lifespan, the 2025 guideline aims to aid clinicians in helping more people manage their blood pressure and reduce the toll of heart disease, kidney disease, [blood sugar concerns] and dementia. This updated guideline is designed to support health care professionals — from primary care teams to specialists, and to all clinicians across health systems — with the diagnosis and care of people with high blood pressure. It also empowers patients with practical tools that can support their individual health needs as they manage their blood pressure, whether through lifestyle changes, medications or both.”
The new guidelines say that the maximum amount of sodium a person should have in a day is 2,300 mg, but we should work toward the ideal limit of 1,500 mg per day. People should be managing stress through exercise, meditation, breathing and yoga. People should maintain a healthy weight and follow a heart-healthy diet plan. It also recommends completely removing alcohol from the diet. The guidelines call for 75-150 minutes of exercise a week. They recommend monitoring blood pressure at home to track progress.
The old guidelines used to say anyone whose systolic blood pressure was above 140 should make lifestyle changes and get medication. The new guidelines say if your systolic blood pressure is between 130 and 139, you should make lifestyle changes. It can lower the risk of dementia and your overall health risks. The biggest change in the list of lifestyle changes in the new guidelines is recommending that people stop drinking. But Dr. Jones and the committee said there is too much evidence that alcohol harms blood pressure.
“A lot of people enjoy drinking, but because the evidence is there, we want you to make an informed decision,” said Dr. Jones. “There’s a lot of individual variability with the relationship between alcohol and blood pressure, but we put forward the ideal as abstinence, and for those who choose to drink, less than one for women and less than two for men.”
