If your doctor told you to get your blood pressure down to 120 over 80, they weren’t wrong to say it. But after 60, chasing that exact number can, in some cases, do more harm than good. The number itself isn’t flawed — the problem is how broadly it’s been applied, often to people it was never actually tested on.
This isn’t an argument against treatment or medication. It’s about understanding where that widely-cited target came from, what changes in the body after 60 that makes a uniform number risky for some people, and what a more personalized target can look like depending on your age and health profile. (Based on the insights of Dr. Jason Collins)