For many years, the ideal figure for normal blood pressure has been celebrated as 120/80 mm Hg. This is the number that many of us link to a well-functioning heart and blood circulation. As medical science advances, our understanding and guidelines also progress. Recent findings indicate that this long-standing benchmark may not be applicable to everyone anymore.

The recent updates from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) present new guidelines that question the long-held notion that 120/80 is the universal benchmark for blood pressure. These findings are changing the way doctors assess cardiovascular health, particularly for specific groups such as older adults and those with pre-existing conditions like diabetes.