The problem which arises is what should be considered a high blood pressure. We know from studies in many Western nations that a person’s blood pressure rises as he or she grows older. We also know that rises in blood pressure with increasing age are more frequent among people in developed countries and only occur rarely in the developing countries, except among those who have adopted a ‘Western’ way of life.
What is a high blood pressure? Different authorities give different levels, which means that any decision is arbitrary. By observing the frequency of stroke, heart attacks, and other cardio-vascular
accidents and relating these to the level of the person’s blood pressure, an expert committee of the WHO has recommended that if your systolic blood pressure exceeds 160, or if your diastolic blood pressure exceeds 95 (especially if both are above those levels), and if these results are found at three examinations at least two weeks apart, you have high blood pressure.
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