not based on hard data

The new guideline called for a pressure below 150 for people age 60 and older.
One school of thought says blood pressure rises with age to push more blood into the brain. Another says high blood pressure damages the brain, perhaps causing silent ministrokes.

“We don’t know which is right,” said David Reboussin, a biostatistician at Wake Forest University who is a principal investigator for the new federal study.

The trend in geriatrics is to let pressure drift up, although not above 150, said Dr. Alfred Cheung, a study investigator who is a nephrologist and professor of medicine at the University of Utah.

“It’s not based on hard data,” he said.

Blood Pressure, the Mystery Number

цитировать можно до бесконечности, ясно одно, как всегда. никто не знает ни хрена.

вот что забавно, systolic в тексте встречается 14 раз, diastolic - 1(один!), и в контексте, где его упоминают как показатель совершенно несущественный по нынешним понятиям.

ну и штоб два раза не вставать Monday’s Medical Myth: You Can’t Mix Antibiotics With Alcohol