Hypertension -- Unique Phenotypes and Antihypertensive Treatment

"On the basis of the ALLHAT results, the NHLBI published an update of the national blood pressure guidelines, the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7).[4]

These guidelines proposed 2 major new concepts:




* 'Prehypertension'

* Start therapy with a diuretic

Prehypertension. JNC 7 raised the bar for ideal treatment goals by reducing the upper threshold for 'normal' BP to < 120/< 80 mm Hg, compared with < 130/< 85 in JNC 6.[10] This was based on the new realization that cardiovascular (CV) risk begins to rise as soon as BP reaches 115/75 mm Hg and doubles with every increment of 20 mm Hg systolic BP (SBP) and 10 mm diastolic BP (DBP)."