On November’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast we discussed the new guidelines redefining who should be diagnosed with high blood pressure. Surprisingly doctors say nearly half the US population meet the new criteria.

How about you?

Under the new guidelines, developed by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology, anyone with blood pressure of 120 over 80 is considered to have “elevated blood pressure” while any patient with a reading of more than 130 over 80 will be classified as having “Stage 1 High Blood Pressure.” High blood pressure was previously defined as 140 over 90 or higher.

What these guidelines are emphasizing is there’s so much benefit from a better blood pressure number and paying attention to blood pressure and not ignoring it, even if you’ve never had a complication of heart disease.

“Yes, we will label more people hypertensive and give more medication, but we will save lives and money by preventing more strokes, cardiovascular events and kidney failure,” Kenneth Jamerson, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Health System who was involved in writing the guidelines said in a statement.

These new guidelines aim to get the public to recognize that high blood pressure is very important and that it does contribute to what’s the biggest cause of death and disability for Americans, which is heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

There is real value in taking on the work of getting one’s blood pressure down.

About 25% of people with Type 1 diabetes and 80% of people with Type 2 diabetes have high blood pressure. If your heart’s working overtime all the time then you need to talk to your healthcare provider about lifestyle and medication management.

There is also significant evidence to show that chronic hypertension can speed the arrival of cognitive problems associated with aging, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. That is because the blood vessels that supply the brain can weaken just like the heart. In a 2009 Clinics in Geriatric Medicine article, Dr. Thomas Obisesan wrote, “hypertension is recognized as the most consistent risk factor for stroke and, importantly, AD [Alzheimer’s disease].”

LISTEN NOW: November’s  Diabetes Late Nite podcast with Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE, Constance Brown Riggs MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach featuring Patricia Addie Gentle RN, CDE, Mindy Bartleson, T1D, blogger at “There’s More to the Story”, and author, Hairstylist & Salon Owner, Karline Ricketts, and America’s #1 Energy Conductor, Kathie Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage’.

Enjoy an exclusive first listen of “Whitney Houston – I Wish You Love: More From ‘The Bodyguard’”ahead of the album’s release date courtesy of SONY Music. This 25th anniversary of “The Bodyguard” soundtrack album features the hit song, “I’m Every Woman” echoing the recent statistics that 1 in 10 women are now living with diabetes.

Throughout the podcast we will be talking to experts about ways to safeguard you and your family from experiencing diabetes health-related complications such as stroke, blindness and amputatio