Heart & blood pressure
Cardiac Nurse WARNS: After 60 Your Blood Pressure Is Damaging More Than You Think
Educational only, not medical advice. Talk to your own doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist. In an emergency, call 911.
What this video covers
For years, standard medical advice was to keep blood pressure as low as possible for everyone. Newer studies that focus on adults over 70 suggest that approach may not be right for every older adult. In this video, a cardiac nurse looks at why those long-standing guidelines are being questioned, and what the latest findings mean for patients and their doctors.
Nurse Ade explains the balance between treating blood pressure firmly and the possible risks of over-treatment in older adults. Because blood pressure affects more than the heart, the video also covers the tests that check on your kidneys and heart, medicines that can help protect your kidneys, and five questions to ask your doctor at your next visit. If your blood pressure has been a little high for a while, it is worth asking whether anyone has looked at your kidneys too, not only your heart. The goal is not to change your treatment on your own, but to walk into your next appointment with clearer questions. Never start, stop or change a blood pressure medicine because of a video. Talk to your prescriber first.
Key points
- Why “as low as possible” may not be the right blood pressure target for every older adult
- What newer research focused on adults over 70 suggests
- The balance between firm treatment and the risks of over-treatment
- Tests that check on your kidneys and your heart
- Medicines that can help protect your kidneys
- Five questions to ask your doctor
Chapters
- 0:00 The Surprising Truth About Blood Pressure Targets
- 1:44 What the Latest Research Reveals
- 5:22 Essential Tests for Kidney and Heart Health
- 7:21 Medications That Protect Your Kidneys
- 14:58 Five Questions to Ask Your Doctor
