New rules mean more people are in the danger zone.

If your blood pressure is elevated but you think you’re still in the safe range, the nation’s top heart organizations want you to think again. New guidelines released by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology lowered the diagnostic threshold for stage 1 high blood pressure to 130/80, down from 140/90. Evidence shows that this much lower threshold can help reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke in more people.

Special Risks With Arthritis: Those who have arthritis should particularly take heed, says rheumatologist Theodore R. Fields, MD, at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “We already know that patients with inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and lupus, have an increased cardiovascular risk,” says Dr. Fields. The new guidelines make it even more important for patients with inflammatory arthritis to have their blood pressure checked regularly, because blood pressure is one of the established risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

Lifestyle Choices Add Up: Risks could be greater with osteoarthritis too, because pain can make it more difficult to be active, and inactivity increases the risk of becoming overweight. Sedentary lifestyle and being overweight are cardiac risk factors.

Lower Your Risk: Keep a close eye on your blood pressure numbers and take steps to lower them if they are too high. Fortunately, there is evidence that controlling arthritis inflammation with appropriate medication can reduce cardiac risk. While your doctor can tell you if you need medication to control your blood pressure, losing weight, if needed, and exercising can help. I does appear that a certain  percentage of people with high blood pressure are helped by a low-salt diet.

The simplest method to lower blood pressure naturally is the use of 3 easy exercises. Thousands of readers have used these exercises successfully to bring their blood pressure below 120/80, sometimes, from the very first day. To learn more about the easy blood pressure exercises and to try them out for yourself, click here…