University of Calgary suggests 1.3M Canadians could benefit if doctors lowered blood pressure targets

The target systolic blood pressure for patients over 50 at risk of heart complications was 140, meaning anyone above that should receive treatment. But in 2016, Hypertension Canada changed its guidelines to recommend that number be lowered to 120. The University of Calgary is recommending doctors adopt this guideline quickly, as it believes 1.3 million Canadians could benefit if they switched to that lower target. The study found that, of the four million Canadians over 50 who are already receiving treatment, nearly 19%, or 754,400 people, could benefit from increased treatment to lower their blood pressure. While the guidelines were changed in 2016, it can take years for those suggestions to be adopted into practice by doctors and other frontline healthcare workers.