2017 Hypertension Clinical Guidelines

Published: November 13, 2017

The definition of hypertension has changed. Are you ready?
  • This guideline is an update of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute publication, “The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure” (JNC 7) and is a comprehensive resource for the clinical and public health practice communities.
  • Previous guidelines identified high blood pressure as ≥ 140/90 mm Hg. This guideline now defines high blood pressure to be anyone with a systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 130 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 80 mm Hg.
  • The change will mean more patients are diagnosed with hypertension. To improve blood pressure control and reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in these patients, a small percentage of them will be asked to take medications while the majority will be recommended for nonpharmacological interventions with healthy lifestyle changes.

Understanding the 2017 Hypertension Guidelines

John Warner, MD, president of the American Heart Association, interviews Paul Whelton, MD, writing group chair for the 2017 Hypertension Clinical Practice Guidelines and the need for the guidelines, the new classification system, and what it means for clinicians and their patients.