You don t say how old your family members where who died of a heart attack and whether or not they were first degree relatives? If male members died after the age of 55 or (65 for a women) this is not considered a risk factor. Unless you have medical risk factors such as kidney problems, diabetes or existing heart disease etc, 150/100 is not within treatment range although it is high and above optimal which is 120/80. It s known as mild high hypertension. Your mother having a pace maker implanted may have nothing to do with blood pressure. Have secondary causes for high blood pressure been ruled out? EDIT I ve just had a word with Dr Frank becuase as I am not a prescriber, I always base my prescribing advice on NICE guidelines which isn t always the most beneficial to the patient; but Dr Frank has correctly pointed out that your GP is probably, like me, sticking to NICE guidelines too and NICE guidelines state that this reading isn t within treatment range because the cost of treating BP are not justified until the risk increases. Although there is also side effect of the BP medication to consider and your reading at the moment does not put you in serious danger but none the less, the higher the BP, the greater the stroke risk. I do hope these readings are not based on single BP readings either? Also, the WHO treatment threshold with no other risk or condition is 150/95 or above, so you have a plausible argument when you go back to your GP and ask for management. You are within international treatment range.