A new research suggests that it is fine for people over 60 years of age to have slightly higher blood pressure level than thought earlier, before beginning any treatment to reduce it.

According to the guidelines commitee, whose report has been published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, elderly people can strive for 150/90 mm/Hg instead of 140/90 mm/Hg.

The committee, which comprised of 17 academics who spent five years reviewing the evidence, said there is nothing to determine that 140/90 mm/Hg should be the blood pressure target for treatment purpose. The data collected from randomized clinical trials do not bear any evidence that the use of drugs to bring down systolic blood pressure from 150 to 140 actually has any health benefits. Rather, there are associated risks with the medications prescribed to bring the blood pressure down.

The guidelines are based on a review of medical research where patients were randomly prescribed drugs or placebo. The result of these studies suggest that older patients can avoid major health problems such as strokes, heart attacks and kidney diseases even when their blood pressure is above the current recommended level of 140.

Panel members say that they are not changing the definition of high blood pressure but are simply recommending that adults who are 60 years of age or older, may maintain their blood pressure at or below 150/90 mm/Hg and get medication only when they are above this target.

The recommendation is supported by strong evidence that shows that lowering blood pressure to below 150/90 mm/Hg level, reduces a patient's risk of stroke, heart failure and coronary heart disease. 

According to Dr. Suzanne Oparil, director of the vascular biology and hypertension program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, medications that lower blood pressure can have side effects that counteract some of the benefits but patients older than 60 who are already on medication to keep their blood pressure below 140, can keep doing what they're doing if they do not experience side effects.

Meanwhile, the American Heart Association is raising concerns about the new recommendation saying that many of the studies on which the guidelines are based, didn't last long enough to reveal the dangers of undertreated high blood pressure in older patients.

The panel, however, says that its guidelines are just recommendations and that doctors should make treatment decisions according to their patient's individual circumstances.