New research finds that large spikes in blood pressure among young adults are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease in middle age. As a result, physicians may need to revisit the practice of averaging blood pressure readings to determine if medication is necessary. Dr. Yuichiro Yano, Ph.D.
— an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Duke University in Durham, NC — is the lead author of the new paper.Dr. Yano and colleagues started out from existing United States Preventive Services Task Force and American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association recommendations. These suggest that doctors should use an average of several blood pressure measurements over time to diagnose and manage hypertension in young adults.Some studies, however, have suggested that higher variability in blood pressure readings from visit to visit is…
