Top Number Touted in Blood Pressure Readings
From Times Wire Reports
A study of 4,714 French men bolsters evidence that the top number in blood pressure readings is better than the lower number at predicting heart disease risk, even in middle-age patients.
For years doctors thought it was more important to try to lower the bottom, or diastolic, number to reduce the health risks of high blood pressure.
While many doctors still focus on diastolic readings, recent research has suggested that the top, or systolic, measure, is more important, especially in the elderly.
The results are published in today’s Archives of Internal Medicine.
