Claire Jeong, RDH, explains what updated definitions for blood pressure readings mean for dental professionals.In November 2017, the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC) released a new clinical practice guideline on hypertension. “I have our mutual patient, ABC, in my chair today, and when I took her blood pressure, it was high. If your blood pressure is normal, maintaining or adopting a healthy lifestyle can prevent or delay the onset of high blood pressure or other health problems. If your blood pressure isn't normal, a healthy lifestyle — oftentimes along with medication — can help bring it under control and reduce your risk of life-threatening complications. Some people come to their appointments in a rush or right after something has upset them, and this could cause a temporary rise in blood pressure. https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-17154/levlen-21-oral/details To get an accurate blood pressure measurement, your doctor should evaluate your readings based on the average of two or more blood pr… All rights reserved. If the blood pressure is unchanged, consider immediate referral of the patient to a physician or emergency room for evaluation. If we were to follow the older guidelines, blood pressure of 129/79 mm Hg falls in the range of prehypertension (systolic 120-139 mm Hg or diastolic 80-89 mm Hg). As a dental hygienist, this change presents the perfect opportunity for you to screen for high blood pressure and broach … Did the patient have other mitigating factors, such as smoking, diabetes, a history of cardiovascular problems, or chronic kidney disease? First, taking the patient’s blood pressure at the beginning of each appointment determines if the patient has hypertension, and depending on the reading, whether the treatment will need to … b. raises the blood pressure 3. We used to see this frequently when I taught, as our clinic patients had to walk quite a distance to get to our building. According to the newer guidelines, the same number is considered to be elevated blood pressure (systolic 120-129 mm Hg and diastolic under 80 mm Hg).On page 23 of the executive summary, you can find the The new guidelines do not provide any specific instructions for the dental professionals. 1. It would be wrong to deny treatment for such people, as we know that good preventive care is an integral part of good overall health. Standards and guidelines inform practitioners and the public of CDSBC’s expectations for registrants.Guidelines are highly recommended but – while being evidence of a standard – are not, strictly speaking, mandatory. My husband died at age 50 of a sudden massive myocardial infarction, and he In 2017, the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association published new blood pressure guidelines. According to the new guidelines, the patient’s blood pressure belongs to which of the following categories?If we were to follow the older guidelines, blood pressure of 129/79 mm Hg falls in the range of prehypertension (systolic 120-139 mm Hg or diastolic 80-89 mm Hg). Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. Diastolic blood pressure, the bottom number, measures the force your heart exerts on the walls of your arteries in between beats.Blood pressure readings fall into four general categories, ranging from normal to stage 2 high blood pressure (hypertension). Mayo Clinic offers appointments in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and at Mayo Clinic Health System locations.Our general interest e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.This blood pressure chart can help you figure out if your blood pressure is at a healthy level or if you'll need to take some steps to improve your numbers.Your total blood pressure reading is determined by measuring your systolic and diastolic blood pressures.