If your blood pressure is anything over the normal reading of 120/80 mmHg, a stroke may be in your future -- even if it's not high enough to be considered hypertension.
That's what a new study published March 12 in Neurology suggests. Researchers analyzed data collected on 760,000 people, and found people with "prehypertension" were 66 percent more likely to develop a stroke than people with a normal blood pressure reading.
Prehypertension is a blood pressure that's higher than 120/80 mmHg, but lower than the high blood pressure (hypertension) threshold of 140/90 mmHg.
Twenty percent of all strokes seen in the study were among people with prehypertension. The raised risk remained even after ruling out other factors that could lead to a stroke, including high cholesterol, diabetes and smoking.
A closer look found people with blood pressure over 130/85 mmHg (but still less than the "high" 140/90 mmHg) were 95 percent more likely to develop a stroke than people with normal blood pressure, while prehypertensives lower than 130/85 were 44 percent more likely to have a stroke than someone with a normal 120/80 mmHg reading.
The study has important takeaways for the public, according to the researchers.
Play Video
Daily health headlines: Researchers find uptick in stroke rates in 20 to 64-year-olds, a food preservative may fight bird flu, plus more of today...
About one in three Americans have high blood pressure, which increases risk for heart disease and stroke - two leading causes of U.S. deaths.
Risk factors include high sodium intake, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, family history of stroke and advanced age. Lifestyle changes and medications, such as statins, may reduce blood pressure for someone with high blood pressure.
See original here:
Barely-elevated blood pressure may raise stroke risk