--- title: High Blood Pressure Should Be Lowered Even More, Study Finds description: Lowering blood pressure more could further reduce risk of heart attacks canonical: https://time.com/4031251/high-blood-pressure-treatment-study/ author: Victor Luckerson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-09-11T16:11:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:57:51.176Z article:section: Health og:title: High Blood Pressure Treatment Should Be More Aggressive, Study Finds og:description: Lowering blood pressure more could further reduce risk of heart attacks og:url: https://time.com/4031251/high-blood-pressure-treatment-study/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2f91026b23dc36e8/6988634a5f570f0e15b1d54e/blood-pressure.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4890 og:image:height: 2751 og:image:alt: Blood Pressure og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: High Blood Pressure Treatment Should Be More Aggressive, Study Finds twitter:description: Lowering blood pressure more could further reduce risk of heart attacks twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2f91026b23dc36e8/6988634a5f570f0e15b1d54e/blood-pressure.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # High Blood Pressure Treatment Should Be More Aggressive, Study Finds > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=2361ca68-f25b-48a5-8e98-a9ed8d84b26e&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: New York City's Latest Food Battle: Salt [Watch (HLS stream): New York City's Latest Food Battle: Salt](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/IdPoU7xh.m3u8) (2:00)  _Published 2015-06-10. The New York City health department is expected to propose that restaurants label high sodium dishes on menus._ by [Victor Luckerson](https://time.com/author/victor-luckerson/) ## Victor Luckerson Sep 11, 2015 4:11 PM UTC  Sphygmomanometer, blood pressure gauge Sphygmomanometer, blood pressure gauge Getty Images by [Victor Luckerson](https://time.com/author/victor-luckerson/) ## Victor Luckerson Sep 11, 2015 4:11 PM UTC People who suffer from high blood pressure should be attempting to lower their blood pressure well below current benchmarks, according to [a new study](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/12/health/blood-pressure-study.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news). The study by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute found that patients who reached a systolic blood pressure below 120 saw their risk of heart attacks and strokes lowered by a third, while their risk of death was lowered by about one-fourth. Currently people with high blood pressure typically take drugs to lower their systolic blood pressure to 140, or 150 for people over 60\. The institute announced the results Friday, even though the study wasn’t scheduled to be published until 2017, because the data is of such importance to public health. Blood pressure experts expect guidelines to be changed due to the study, leading people to take medication that will push their blood pressure even lower. Some worry that increased use of blood pressure medicine could cause additional worrisome side effects. \[[_NYT_](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/12/health/blood-pressure-study.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news)\] ## Transcript The New York City food and drink wars continue. Former NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg, attempted to ban big sodas in 2013. A move that was ultimately shot down by New York's court of appeals. But now there's a new agenda in NYC Against salt. The New York City Health Department is set to propose a new requirement for chain restaurants Wednesday, requiring the restaurants to put warning symbols next to food items with high sodium content. I don't see a problem with it, I mean I think its better to be informed right? I think it might be a good idea for people with health conditions. The US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, only recommends 2300 milligrams, or about a teaspoon of salt a day. The average American currently consumes about 3400 milligrams a day. So, a big apple margarita would definitely be labeled considering Margherita recipes call for that recommended one teaspoon for one single glass. The New York City health commissioner told USA today the goal is to reduce premature mortality and one thing contributing to people dying young is high blood pressure And depending on a persons diet high amounts of salt can be a major factor. According for the centers of disease control and prevention one in every three American adults has high blood pressure. The nationwide cost of the condition is $ 46 billion each year. But for restaurants to label all dishes over the daily recommended amount. They'd likely have to label a lot. We checked out Applebee's pasta and seafood section of it's menu. Of the 11 dishes, eight were over the recommended salt intake and the remaining three accounted for over half the recommended daily salt intake. And of the 17 appetizers on Chile's menu, 12 were over the recommended daily salt intake. With the cheese fries actually being double the recommended amount. The other five appetizers were over half the recommended amount. The Big Apple isn't the only major city considering major food warnings. San Francisco lawmakers voted unanimously on sugary drinks that reads, WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar ( s ) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. 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