The government may have been wrong when it loosened blood pressure targets.

Traditionally, the guidelines had defined “normal” blood pressure as a systolic pressure (the upper number) of less than 120 mmHg and a diastolic pressure (the lower number) of less than 80 mmHg, or 120/80. High blood pressure was defined as 140/90 or higher.

But the government recommended relaxing the guidelines for older people, putting them on drugs only if their blood pressure was at least 150/90.

One study involved about 8,000 patients age 60 and older who were divided into three groups: those with systolic blood pressure of less than 140 mmHg (57 percent); those with systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg to less than 150 mmHg (24 percent) and those with systolic blood pressure of 150 mmHg or greater (42 percent).

Those who achieved a systolic blood pressure of less than 140 mmHg had the lowest death rate from heart attack and stroke.

The study also showed that patients who followed the government’s more relaxed targets were more likely to die.

In my 30 years of experience, I have found that the lower target numbers work well.

Therefore, I recommend working with your doctor to reach those numbers as your individual blood pressure goal.