Aggressive treatment of high blood pressure can sharply cut the risk of heart attacks, strokes and deaths in people 50 and older, according to a landmark federal study released Friday that urges doctors to bring their patients’ blood pressure well below the commonly recommended target.

The new research advises people with high blood pressure to keep their “systolic” pressure — the top number in the reading that health-care providers routinely tell patients — at 120 or below. Clinical guidelines have commonly called for systolic blood pressure of 140 for healthy adults and 130 for adults with kidney disease or diabetes.

Physicians have complained that there was no clear evidence for any specific standard on systolic blood pressure, compelling them to decide on their own how aggressive to be in treating the condition. Now there is a number, and it is significantly lower than the current targets.

Read the article “STUDY: Researchers Urge Adults to Aim for Much Lower Blood Pressure” on washingtonpost.com.