BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The American Heart Association has released new guidelines on blood pressure, highlighting the importance of early detection and personalized care. Doctors say knowing your numbers could be the key to preventing serious health problems.

"High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major risk factor that contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Lance LaMotte, Chief of Cardiology at Baton Rouge General.

LaMotte emphasized that blood pressure should ideally be 120 over 80 or lower. The new guidelines set a community goal of getting numbers down to 130 over 80 or less.

"The guidelines are structured to achieve that in the community," LaMotte said.

The updates also encourage doctors to look beyond numbers, taking into account ag

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