Introducing a lower blood pressure target than currently in place could save thousands of lives a year, a study shows.
Official NHS guidance says ideal blood pressure is between 90/60 and 120/80 millimetres of mercury (mmHg).
Patients with high blood pressure are usually treated with the goal of lowering systolic pressure (the top number that represents how forcefully the heart pumps blood through the body) to 140 mmHg.
But research suggests that lowering this value to 120 mmHg would prevent more heart attacks and strokes, while still being safe.
A quarter of adults in the UK (14.4 million people) are thought to have high blood pressure, increasing the chances of suffering from health problems such as heart attack, stroke and vascular dementia.
Introducing a lower blood pressure target than the current one could save thousands of lives a year, a study shows (file photo)
Researchers studied more than 11,000 people who were at high risk of cardiovascular problems due to conditions such as diabetes, age and lifestyle factors such as smoking.
Patients from 116 hospitals in China were divided into two groups with the goal of reducing blood pressure to less than 120 mmHg or the standard treatment of 140 mmHg.
They were given blood pressure-lowering medications along with recommendations such as exercise, then followed monthly for the first three months and then quarterly after that.
Her medication was adjusted to maintain target levels and she was then followed up more than three years later.
Of those in the lower blood pressure target group, 9.7 percent experienced a major cardiovascular event, such as heart failure.
This compares with 11.1 percent of those who had a target blood pressure of less than 140 mmHg, according to findings published in The Lancet.
The authors said that a lower blood pressure goal, less than 120 mmHg, should be considered for all patients at high cardiovascular risk, regardless of diabetes status or history of stroke.
The official NHS guidance says the ideal pressure is between 90/60 and 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) (file photo)
Jing Li, from the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases in Beijing, said: “Implementing this intensive treatment strategy for high-risk adults has the potential to save more lives and reduce the public health burden of heart disease.”
This comes after a UK study found that fluctuations in blood pressure are a significant predictor of the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Earlier this year, researchers at Imperial College found that more than half of the incidents occurred in patients whose blood pressure was well controlled with medication (below 140 mmHg), suggesting the threshold is insufficient.
But experts said the findings do not necessarily mean everyone should take medication.
Professor Nilesh Samani, former medical director of the British Heart Foundation, said: “It is also important to remember that blood pressure can be improved by means other than medication, such as exercise and weight loss.”
He said those concerned about their blood pressure should consult a GP.