According to a new report published in this week's issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, middle-aged men and women face a high risk of developing hypertension. Doctors with the Framingham Heart Study in Massachusetts examined nearly 1,300 men and women age fifty-five to sixty-five who, until that time, had not developed the disorder.

Researchers discovered that a ninety percent risk of acquiring hypertension existed for the subjects. There was also a sixty percent probability that the patients would receive an anti-hypertensive medication in the future, the report said. Doctors suggest middle-aged Americans "adopt lifestyle-related measures for maintaining optimal blood pressure and for preventing the development of hypertension."