The American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and several other health organizations released a comprehensive new guideline with recommendations regarding the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of hypertension.
Everyone, even people with normal blood pressure, should watch their diet and exercise to keep blood pressure from going up, the new guidelines stress. And smoking is a major blood pressure risk.
The new guideline lowers the target for blood pressure treatment to 130/80 mmHg. This emphasizes the importance of early prevention, detection and treatment to reduce future cardiovascular risk. The updated guideline presents new treatment recommendations, which include lifestyle changes as well as BP-lowering medications. These lifestyle changes can reduce systolic BP by approximately 4 to 11 mm Hg for patients with hypertension, with the biggest impacts being changes to diet and exercise.
The new guidelines put blood pressure readings in five different categories:
- Normal: < 120 mm Hg Systolic BP (SBP) and < 80 mm Hg Diastolic BP (DBP)
- Elevated: 120-129 mm Hg SBP and < 80 mm Hg DBP
- Stage 1 Hypertension: 130-139 mm Hg SBP or 80-89 mm Hg DBP
- Stage 2 Hypertension: ≥ 140 mm Hg SBP or ≥ 90 mm Hg DBP
- Hypertensive Crisis: >180 mm Hg SBP or >120 DBP
Experts expect the new guidelines will result in about 14 percent more people being diagnosed with high blood pressure, but only a small percentage of those will be at blood pressure levels that require medication. Rather, it is anticipated that more people will be counseled about lifestyle changes to manage their blood pressure. The new guidelines also stress the importance of using proper technique to measure blood pressure. Access the AMA Blood Pressure Measurement Poster.
“Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death among Americans. High blood pressure accounts for the second largest number of preventable heart disease and stoke deaths, second only to smoking. As healthcare providers, we can utilize these guidelines as a tool in directing our patients on the right path for optimal health. stated Jennifer Geisert, RN, BSN – Quality Improvement Advisor and Regional Lead for the Great Plains QIN.
For more information, including a link to the updated guidelines, educational videos, fact sheets and patient resources, visit the AHA Web site. You can also find updated resources for patients at www.heart.org/hbp. Clinical tools have also been updated on www.targetbp.org.