London - Lowering your blood pressure below the normal range does not necessarily cut your risk of having a stroke or heart attack, say researchers.
Conventional medical wisdom holds that cutting the level to as low as feasible is usually beneficial.
But a study suggests this may be wrong and only those with high blood pressure should try to cut it.
Anyone who is already in the “normal” range has no need to reduce it. US researchers found that those with high blood pressure of above 140 gained if it was lowered into the “safe” range of 120 to 139.
But lowering systolic blood pressure below 120 does not appear to provide any additional benefit.
Systolic pressure is the first figure in a standard reading, for example 120/80, and refers to the surge that occurs with each heart beat. A high reading is classified as more than 140/90 millimetres of mercury.
Daily Mail