What is a dangerous blood pressure for a man over 40?

For every 10 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure above 115 mmHg, cardiovascular mortality risk increases by approximately 20–25% continuously, with no safe floor below the current treatment thresholds, making the ideal target for men now below 120/80 mmHg (not the historically used 140/90), and the SPRINT trial established that intensive systolic blood pressure control below 120 mmHg reduces cardiovascular events by 25% compared to standard control at 140 mmHg (Whelton et al., JACC, 2018).

The "normal" blood pressure threshold of 140/90 mmHg that most men remember from school or general practice is a treatment initiation threshold, not a safe value. Blood pressure of 130/80 mmHg carries 20–25% more cardiovascular risk than 120/80 mmHg. Blood pressure of 145/90 carries roughly 60–75% more cardiovascular risk than 120/80. These are not small differences. The best blood pressure for a man over 40 who wants cardiovascular longevity is below 120/80, and a reading of 130/80 is Stage 1 hypertension by 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines, not "normal."

Honesty Scale: Solid (1) for the continuous blood pressure-cardiovascular risk relationship. Solid (1) for the <120/80 mmHg right target based on SPRINT and population data.

What to do: Know your blood pressure. A single clinic reading taken by a nurse using an arm cuff is inadequate for blood pressure characterization. Proper home blood pressure measurement (5 minutes of sitting, then 3 readings 1 minute apart, averaged) is the minimum standard.

For the full picture, read The Blood Pressure Deep Dive