A good friend - retired German surgeon - with 65 years of experience, said it's not the BP per se provided it's within aceptable limits, but the changes over a period of time.
My BP has always been 145/95, now that's over 50 years, and he said "so that is your BP and your cardio vascular system has developed with that as the norm, i.e. it's been built to take it.
Whereas another person with, say 120/70 who suddenly goes to 145/95, is at risk. Or Mrs OFSO who normally has a BP of 110/60 and who when ill and measured by an un-knowing doctor at 135/80 is told "you are fine". No, she isn't, you burke.
The same thing - he said - applies to trigylcerides, uric acid levels, and just about everything else, which is why a once-a-year medical (as opposed to going to the same doctor all your life who knows you well) is a waste of time. In order to make a correct assessment your stats have to be compared with you, compiled when you are healthy. And how many of us go to the doctor to draw up a nominal plan when we are healthy ?
Having said that I now take beta-blockers which have reduced my BP, but that's me "being careful", along with taking garlic, zinc, omega-3 and pau d'arco, and red rice yeast/benecol for cholesterol. Steaming healthy into old age, where no doubt I will get run over by a bus.