Medical Intel

Lifestyle modifications are key to treating hypertension, especially for people at high risk. Dr. Valeriani Bead discusses who is at risk and which treatments are most effective.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: Thanks for joining us today. We’re speaking with Dr. Valeriani Bead, a board-certified cardiologist at the MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute, with extensive expertise in nuclear cardiology and echocardiography. Welcome, Dr. Bead. Dr. Valeriani Bead: Thank you for having me. Host: Today we’re discussing how the 2018 hypertension or high blood pressure guidelines apply to African Americans, the elderly and other at-risk populations. The guidelines lower the target rate of a healthy blood pressure for average risk individuals, thereby increasing the number of U.S. adults who are considered to have hypertension. Dr. Bead, what is the op