Mayo Clinic Minute: Millions of Americans have hypertension under new blood pressure guidelines

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association released new blood pressure guidelines on Monday, Nov. 13, that will classify millions more Americans as having hypertension.

The new guidelines lowered the blood pressure range of what is considered normal. That means people whose blood pressure used to be considered high normal or prehypertension now will be considered elevated blood pressure or stage 1 hypertension.

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association estimate the change will affect more than 31 million Americans.