Hypertension Diagnosis and Treatment Guideline

Major Changes as of August 2014 .......................................................................................................... 2

Preface .................................................................................................................................................... 3
Exclusions ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Prevention ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Screening ................................................................................................................................................ 3
Diagnosis................................................................................................................................................. 4
Treatment Goals ..................................................................................................................................... 5
Initiating Treatment ................................................................................................................................. 5
Lifestyle Modifications ............................................................................................................................. 6
Pharmacologic Options ........................................................................................................................... 7
ASCVD Prevention ................................................................................................................................10
Follow-up/Monitoring .............................................................................................................................10

Evidence Summary ...............................................................................................................................11

References ............................................................................................................................................15

Guideline Development Process and Team .........................................................................................19

Last guideline approval: August 2014

Guidelines are systematically developed statements to assist patients and providers in choosing
appropriate health care for specific clinical conditions. While guidelines are useful aids to assist providers
in determining appropriate practices for many patients with specific clinical problems or prevention issues,
guidelines are not meant to replace the clinical judgment of the individual provider or establish a standard
of care. The recommendations contained in the guidelines may not be appropriate for use in all
circumstances. The inclusion of a recommendation in a guideline does not imply coverage. A decision to
adopt any particular recommendation must be made by the provider in light of the circumstances
presented by the individual patient.

© 1999 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington. All rights reserved. 1

Major Changes as of August 2014

New Previous
Blood pressure goals
The blood pressure (BP) goal for the general The BP goal for the general population was
population aged 80 or older has been raised to 140/90 for patients of all ages.
< 150/90 mm Hg. The BP goal for the general
population up to age 80 remains at
< 140/90 mm Hg. (Note: this is different from
the JNC 8 panel guideline; see Evidence
Summary for rationale.)
Diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular The BP goal for patients with diabetes or
disease (ASCVD) patients no longer have a ASCVD was < 140/80 mm Hg.
lower BP goal than the general population. The
BP goal for these populations has been raised
to < 140/90 mm Hg.
There are now two separate BP goals for The BP goal for all patients with CKD was
patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD): < 140/80 mm Hg.
< 140/90 mm Hg for those without albuminuria,
and < 130/80 mm Hg for those with
albuminuria.
Drug treatment and monitoring
Diuretics, ACE inhibitors/angiotensin receptor ACE inhibitors and diuretics were first-line
blockers (ARBs), and calcium channel blockers choices for patients with no history of
are now listed as equivalent first-line choices ASCVD; ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers
for the general population. were first-line choices for patients with a
history of ASCVD; and ACE inhibitors/ARBs
were listed as the first-line choice for patients
with heart failure.
Beta-blockers are no longer a first-line Beta-blockers were listed as first-line for
recommendation for hypertension for the patients with history of ASCVD, second-line
general population. for patients with heart failure, and fourth-line
for patients with no history of ASCVD.
Lisinopril/ hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) is now Lisinopril/HCTZ was recommended as the
recommended as the starting medication in starting medication only for patients with no
most clinical cases, with amlodipine as the next history of ASCVD.
medication.
A default, incremental medication pathway is There was previously no routine
recommended for most cases: recommended medication pathway.
 Lisinopril/HCTZ 20/12.5 mg x ½ tab daily
 Lisinopril/HCTZ 20/12.5 mg x 1 tab daily
 Lisinopril/HCTZ 20/12.5 mg x 2 tabs daily
 Amlodipine 5 mg x ½ tab daily
 Amlodipine 5 mg x 1 tab daily
 Amlodipine 5 mg x 2 tabs daily
For frail patients or those aged 60 years or Monitoring sodium levels was recommended
older, there is now a recommendation to optionally as well, but not as prominently.
consider checking sodium level in addition to
potassium and creatinine.

2
Preface
In December 2013, the 2014 Evidence-Based Guideline for the Management of High Blood Pressure in
Adults (http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1791497) was released by “the Panel
Members Appointed to the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8).” This group had initially been
sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to write the guideline based on an
evidence review sponsored by the NHLBI. However, during that process the NHLBI changed its focus,
and the JNC 8 group partnered instead with the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American
Heart Association (AHA) to jointly publish a guideline. That partnership fell through as well, so when the
JNC 8 panel members’ guideline was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, it
was without the support of any sponsoring organization.

The “JNC 8” guideline itself has been quite controversial. The most hotly debated recommendation is one
to loosen the blood pressure goal for healthy patients from 140/90 mm Hg to 150/90 mm Hg starting at
age 60. Five of the 17 panel members opposed this recommendation strongly enough that, in a highly
unusual move, they published a special “minority view” article
(http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1813288&resultClick=3) in the January 14, 2014 Annals of
Internal Medicine. They argued that the blood pressure goal should be loosened to 150/90 mm Hg only
starting at age 80. The later age cutoff is more consistent with other international guidelines, and, in their
view, more consistent with the available evidence as well.

The ACC and AHA are currently working on a hypertension guideline using the evidence review provided
by the NHLBI, and they intend to release their own guideline, probably sometime in 2015.

Please keep all of this in mind when reviewing the guideline that follows. We attempt to match national
guidelines whenever possible, but we do have some key differences from “JNC 8”—in particular, that we
support the minority view of relaxing blood pressure goals starting at age 80 rather than at age 60. We
have adapted much of the rest of their recommendations, but as always, our guideline is a mixture of all
available major, trusted guidelines, combined with our own interpretation of the evidence. Please see the
Evidence Summary section (p. 12) for a more detailed explanation of how we arrived at various decisions,
including the question of the age at which the blood pressure goal should be relaxed.

Exclusions
This guideline does not apply to women who are pregnant or anticipating pregnancy. These
patients should be referred to Obstetrics for blood pressure management.

Prevention
Efforts should be made to minimize hypertension risk factors: obesity, physical inactivity, moderate to high
alcohol intake, high sodium intake, and high saturated fat intake. See Lifestyle Modifications (p. 5) for
more details.

Screening
Table 1. Screening for hypertension
Population eligible for screening Test(s) Frequency
2
Adults aged 18 and older Blood pressure (BP) measurement using Every visit
1
optimal technique. If the first reading is
elevated, repeat measurement and
document both readings.
1
See Proper Technique for Obtaining and Recording BP Measurement (staff intranet).
2
Measure BP at every Primary Care and Specialty visit, with the exception of eye care and
dermatology.

3
Diagnosis
Assess the patient for hypertension using the BP measure at initial visit and repeated measurements
taken at home or at office visits.

Prehypertension: 120–139 mm Hg systolic or 80–89 mm Hg diastolic

Stage 1 hypertension: 140–159 mm Hg systolic or 90–99 mm Hg diastolic
Stage 2 hypertension: ≥160 mm Hg systolic or ≥100 mm Hg diastolic

Hypertensive urgency
If any BP measurement is greater than 180/110 mg Hg, treat the patient either immediately or within
days, depending on the clinical situation and any complications present. If it is greater than
210/120 mm Hg, immediate treatment is warranted.

Home BP measurement
Measuring blood pressure at home is an effective strategy to help establish a hypertension diagnosis and
help patients achieve their blood pressure target.

Some patients’ BP may be slightly elevated when measured in office settings compared to when it is
measured at home. To adjust for this, the standard practice for all patients is to use a slightly lower
threshold for diagnosing hypertension using home blood pressure measurements: 135/85 mm Hg instead
of 140/90 mm Hg.

A pamphlet for patients, “Measuring Your Blood Pressure at Home” is available. Information about home
BP measurement is also available in the AVS SmartPhrase .avsbpselfreport.

Medications, substances and conditions that may affect blood pressure

When making a diagnosis of hypertension, it is important to consider medications and other causes that
may be increasing the patient’s blood pressure. Examples include:

 Medications such as adrenal steroids, estrogen, sympathomimetics, NSAIDs, and appetite

suppressants. Consider eliminating, switching to another medication, or decreasing the dose.
 Alcohol, illicit drugs (e.g., cocaine and other stimulants), and smoking. Consider screening (see
the Unhealthy Drinking in Adults Guideline, Detox Manual [staff intranet], and Tobacco Use
Guideline).
 Sodium. See “Diet” under Lifestyle Modifications (p. 5) for recommended limits.
 Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Consider this as a potential cause of elevated blood pressure if
symptoms consistent with OSA are present.

Initial lab workup

 EKG.
 Cholesterol screening.
 Diabetes screening.
 Potassium and creatinine.
 Sodium. (Consider for frail patients or those aged 60 years or older.)

Additional workup may be needed if the patient has a comorbidity (e.g., diabetes, ASCVD).

The following are generally not necessary for routine follow-up of a hypertension diagnosis: urinalysis,
blood chemistry, hematocrit, general electrolytes, BUN, and liver function tests.

If the patient has an abrupt increase in BP measurement, consider lab workup for secondary
hypertension.

4
Treatment Goals
Note: In the JNC 8 panel guideline, the goal BP changes from < 140/90 mm Hg to < 150/90 mm Hg
starting at age 60. In this guideline, the goal BP makes the same change but not until age 80. Please see
the Evidence Summary (p. 12) for an explanation of the rationale behind this decision.

Table 2. Blood pressure goals for risk reduction

Eligible population Goal
General population through age 79 BP lower than 140/90 mm Hg
1
General population aged 80 and older BP lower than 150/90 mm Hg

Patients with diabetes BP lower than 140/90 mm Hg

Patients with ASCVD BP lower than 140/90 mm Hg
Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD)
2
with albuminuria BP lower than 130/80 mm Hg
2
without albuminuria BP lower than 140/90 mm Hg
1
Consider using this goal for frail elderly patients and patients under age 80 who are not
tolerating pharmacologic treatment.
2
Whether moderately increased (30–300 mcg/mg, previously called “microalbuminuria”) or
severely increased (> 300 mcg/mg, previously called “macroalbuminuria”).

Initiating Treatment
Table 3. When to initiate treatment
1
Diagnosis Lifestyle modifications Drug treatment
Prehypertension At diagnosis Drug treatment not recommended
Stage 1 hypertension At diagnosis Consider at or before 6 months of
lifestyle modifications if BP goals unmet
Stage 2 hypertension At diagnosis At diagnosis
1
For frail elderly patients, standing blood pressure measurements should be considered
before initiating drug treatment. If patient is hypotensive when standing but has mild hypertension
when seated, pharmacologic treatment may cause more harm than good.

5
Lifestyle Modifications
Lifestyle modifications should be encouraged for all patients, regardless of stage of hypertension.

Tobacco cessation
Quitting smoking, a primary risk factor for cardiac disease, has immediate as well as long-term benefits
for patients with hypertension and the people with whom they live. See the Tobacco Use Screening and
Intervention Guideline for recommendations.

Weight management
The risk of serious health conditions—such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and stroke, as well as
high blood pressure—increases with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher. (BMI = weight in kilograms
2
divided by height in meters squared [kg/m ].) Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 to 29.9, obesity as a
BMI of 30 or higher. While most overweight or obese adults can lose weight by eating a healthy diet or
increasing physical activity, doing both is most effective. See the Adult Weight Management Screening
and Intervention Guideline for recommendations and further information.

Diet
Patients with hypertension should be advised to reduce their dietary sodium intake to no more than
2,400 mg per day; further reduction to 1,500 mg/day is desirable as it leads to even greater decreases in
BP. If the desired sodium level is not achieved, consider an alternative goal of reducing current sodium
intake by 1,000 mg/day.

Additionally, all patients should strive to:

 Make smart choices from every food group to meet their caloric needs.
 Get the most and best nutrition from the calories consumed.

The DASH eating plan provides the following key elements: an abundance of plant foods (fruits,
vegetables, whole-grain breads or other forms of cereals, beans, nuts, and seeds), minimally processed
foods, lean meats, poultry, and fish, and seasonally fresh foods. Use the AVS SmartPhrases .avsdash
and .avsnutrition.

Physical activity
Advise adults to engage in aerobic physical activity 3 to 4 sessions per week. Each session should be of
moderate-to-vigorous intensity and last an average of 40 minutes.

For patients who have been inactive for a while, recommend starting slowly and working up, at a
comfortable pace, to at least 30 minutes per day. If a patient is unable to be active for 30 minutes at one
time, suggest accumulating activity over the course of the day in 10- to 15-minute sessions.

Moderation of alcohol consumption

Because alcohol use can raise blood pressure, patients with hypertension should use alcohol in
moderation, if at all. Screen patients using the AUDIT-C Alcohol Questionnaire, and provide brief
guidance when appropriate. See the Adult Unhealthy Drinking Screening and Intervention Guideline for
more detailed recommendations.

6
Pharmacologic Options
Table 4. Initial antihypertensive medication recommendations by patient subgroup
Note: A suggested default pathway for medication treatment is on p. 8.
Patient subgroup Drug class for initial therapy
(Bold type indicates a preferred drug class. See also
“Prescribing notes” following this table.)
General population Alone or in combination:
ACE inhibitor (or ARB if intolerant)
Thiazide diuretic
Calcium channel blocker
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) Alone or in combination:
ACE inhibitor (or ARB if intolerant)
Thiazide diuretic
Calcium channel blocker
Diabetes Alone or in combination:
ACE inhibitor (or ARB if intolerant)
Thiazide diuretic
Calcium channel blocker
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease Alone or in combination:
(ASCVD) ACE inhibitor (or ARB if intolerant)
Beta-blocker (preferred for patients with recent angina or
myocardial infarction)
Thiazide diuretic
Calcium channel blocker
Congestive heart failure (CHF) Treat per standard CHF guidelines. Given the blood pressure–
lowering effect of many first-line CHF medications, it is rarely
necessary to add medications specifically for the hypertension.
Consult Cardiology if questions.

Prescribing notes: Table 4

ACE inhibitors and ARBs
 ACE inhibitors and ARBs should not be used in combination.
 ACE inhibitors and ARBs are somewhat less efficacious in black patients, and therefore are not
a preferred first-line choice for blacks, unless they have a clinical condition where these
medications are recommended (e.g., CKD, diabetes, ASCVD).
 ACE inhibitors and ARBs are teratogenic. If a patient is pregnant or anticipating pregnancy,
consider consultation with Obstetrics for BP management.
 ACE inhibitors should generally be chosen first-line above ARBs. ACE inhibitors are less
expensive, and while some studies show similar clinical outcomes, others still show ACE
inhibitors as superior. However, if a dry, persistent cough develops (normally within about
2 weeks, but potentially at up to 6 months) and appears to be caused by the ACE inhibitor,
consider switching directly to an ARB. In a meta-analysis of 125 studies, the pooled incidence
of ACE inhibitor–induced cough was reported to be 10.6% (Bangalore 2010).

Beta-blockers
 Beta-blockers are no longer a first-line recommendation for hypertension unless the patient has
a comorbidity for which beta-blockers are preferred (e.g., angina, recent myocardial infarction,
systolic heart failure, atrial fibrillation, or thoracic aneurysm). Consider beta-blockers if blood
pressure has still not been controlled with the medications in Table 4.
 If the patient is already on beta-blockers for hypertension, use shared decision making to
consider whether to continue with beta-blockers or switch to one of the preferred classes.

7
Consultative specialty service referral
Patients should be referred to consultative specialty services in the following situations:
 Blood pressure remains uncontrolled despite aggressive therapy with a minimum trial of 3 or 4
medications listed in Table 4.
 The patient has shown a dramatic failure to respond to medications.
 The patient is under age 25 years.

Refer patients to:

 Consultative Internal Medicine, unless there is a clear element of renal failure.
 Nephrology if there is a clear element of renal failure (creatinine > 2 mg/dL or rising creatinine
with proteinuria).
 Cardiology only if the patient is currently under the active management of a cardiologist.

The following workup should be ordered and completed prior to the patient being seen by the consultative
specialty service:
 CXR.
 Urinalysis.
 CBC and fasting lipid.
 Creatinine, sodium, potassium, fasting glucose, and EKG.
 Evaluate the patient for a high-salt diet or NSAID use, and correct these factors prior to referral.
 Consider obtaining a 24-hour urine for creatinine, sodium, and creatinine clearance (helpful but
not required).

Default medication pathway

Below is a suggested default pathway for initiating and advancing blood pressure medication treatment.
Following this pathway has several advantages:
 It works in each patient subgroup noted above (Table 4).
 By starting at ½ tab, we use resources effectively, and patients are more willing to make a dose
adjustment (to 1 full tab) as needed to reach goal.
 A second dose adjustment (to 2 full tabs) can be made without requiring a new prescription.

1
Table 5. Default pathway for initiating and advancing antihypertensive medications
Step 1 Combination ACE inhibitor and thiazide diuretic (lisinopril/HCTZ)
20/12.5 mg tabs
Initiate at:
½ tab daily
Advance every 2–4 weeks, as needed, to:
1 tab daily
2 tabs daily
Throughout: Lab monitoring as needed (see Table 7)
Step 2 If BP remains uncontrolled, add:
Calcium channel blocker (amlodipine)
5 mg tabs
Initiate at:
½ tab daily
Advance every 2–4 weeks, as needed, to:
1 tab daily
2 tabs daily
Throughout: Lab monitoring as needed (see Table 7)
1
Frail elderly patients may require lower initial doses and slower titration schedules. Frail
elderly patients may require lower therapeutic doses as well.

8
Medication dosing
1
Table 6. Antihypertensive medications: initial and recommended maximum dosing
Antihypertensive medication Initial dose Recommended
maximum dose
Thiazide diuretics
Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) 12.5 mg daily 25 mg daily
Chlorthalidone 12.5 mg daily 25 mg daily
ACE inhibitors
Lisinopril 10 mg daily 40 mg daily
Combination lisinopril/HCTZ 20/12.5 mg 20/12.5 mg
x ½ tab daily x 2 tabs daily
Angiotensin receptor blockers
Losartan 25 mg/day 100 mg/day
in 1–2 doses in 1–2 doses
Calcium channel blockers
Amlodipine 2.5 mg daily 10 mg daily
Beta-blockers
Metoprolol IR (tartrate) 25 mg twice daily 100 mg twice daily
Metoprolol LA (succinate) 50 mg daily 200 mg daily
2
Atenolol 25 mg/day 100 mg/day
in 1–2 doses in 1–2 doses
1
Frail elderly patients may require lower initial doses and slower titration schedules. Frail
elderly patients may require lower therapeutic doses as well.
2
Not preferred in frail elderly patients or those with CKD.

Drug timing strategies

 QHS (“bedtime”) dosing: There is some evidence to support using BP medications in the evening
instead of the morning (except in patients with glaucoma or vascular ischemic disorders). (See
Evidence Summary, p. 14.)
 BID (twice-daily) dosing: When dosing reads “in 1–2 doses,” this means the package insert states
that QDAY (once-daily) dosing is acceptable. However, better clinical results are often achieved
with BID dosing of these medications. Consider BID dosing more strongly as the dose increases.
 When considering either of these strategies, use shared decision making. For some patients,
compliance is more difficult if they have to take medications twice per day instead of once. Also
note that QHS diuretic dosing may result in poor tolerance/adherence in some patients. Be sure
to discuss this with patients and ask how compliant they feel they would be with a more
complicated medication regimen.

If patient is not meeting BP goal

Determine whether the patient is taking prescribed medications according to instructions. Using open-
ended questions, talk with the patient about any barriers to adherence and check their understanding of
their condition and the treatment(s) they’ve been prescribed. See “Medication Adherence Counseling”
(staff intranet) for more detailed information.

If patient also has ASCVD or diabetes, consider a referral to Pharmacy. To see the exact referral criteria,
consult the text of the Pharmacy referral order in Epic.

9
ASCVD Prevention
See the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) guidelines, Primary Prevention and Secondary
Prevention, as appropriate.

Follow-up/Monitoring
Note: If the patient has an abrupt increase in BP measurement, consider secondary hypertension.

Medication monitoring
Table 7. Lab monitoring for medication side effects
Medication Test(s) Frequency
1
ACE inhibitors or ARBs Potassium Before initiating therapy
and and
Creatinine 2 weeks after initiating therapy
and
Diuretics and/or aldosterone Potassium
2 With each increase in dose
antagonists and
and
Creatinine
Annually
3
Sodium Before initiating therapy and consider at
the time periods listed above.
Beta-blockers and/or No routine lab Not applicable
Calcium channel blockers monitoring is required.
1
For patients on ACE inhibitors or ARBs, renal function (creatinine) should be checked because treatment
may be associated with deterioration of renal function and/or increases in serum creatinine, particularly in
patients dependent on renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system; potassium should be checked because 2–5%
of patients develop hyperkalemia.
2
For patients on diuretics or aldosterone antagonists, potassium should be checked at least once a year,
and perhaps twice a year and with any change of dose because excessive dosages can lead to profound
diuresis with fluid and electrolyte loss; renal function (creatinine) should be checked because use of
diuretics may cause oliguria, azotemia, and reversible increases in creatinine.
3
For patients who are > 60 years, on multiple medications, or who have heart failure, consider checking
sodium levels as well.

10
Evidence Summary
Methods and sources
To develop the Hypertension Guideline, the guideline team:
 Considered recommendations from externally developed evidence-based guidelines and/or
recommendations of organizations that establish community standards.
 Reviewed additional literature using an evidence-based process, including systematic literature
search, critical appraisal, and evidence synthesis.

Externally developed guidelines considered

2014 Evidence Based Guideline for the Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults. Report
from the Panel Members Appointed to the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8) (James
2014)
2014 Kaiser National Clinical Practice Guideline: Hypertension, adopting JNC 8
2013 North California and Southern California Permanente Medical Group Hypertension
Guideline
2013 Guidelines for the Management of Arterial Hypertension. European Society of Hypertension/
European Society of Cardiology
2013 and 2014 Canadian Hypertension Education Program: Recommendations for Blood
Pressure Measurement, Diagnosis, Assessment of Risk, Prevention, and Treatment of
Hypertension (Hackam 2013, Canadian Hypertension Education Program 2014)
2012 ICSI Hypertension Diagnosis and Treatment (Luehr 2012)
2011 NICE Hypertension: Clinical Management of Primary Hypertension in Adults

Additional evidence review

The guideline team reviewed additional evidence in the following areas:
 Screening for hypertension
 Blood pressure target and intensity of control
 Antihypertensive pharmacological therapies
 Antihypertensive therapy in the elderly
 Chronotherapy (timing of medication) for hypertension
 Lifestyle modification
 Home monitoring of blood pressure

Screening for hypertension

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2007) strongly recommends screening adults aged 18 years
and older for high blood pressure. This is based on indirect evidence that blood pressure measurement
can identify adults who are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease due to hypertension, and good
direct evidence that treatment of hypertension substantially decreases the incidence of cardiovascular
disease and causes few major harms.

Blood pressure target and intensity of control

 All the reviewed U.S., Canadian and European guidelines on the management of hypertension—
with the exceptions of JNC 8 2014 and Kaiser 2014, which adopted JNC 8—recommend a goal of
< 140/90 mm Hg for the general population under 80 years of age, and a goal of < 150/90 mm Hg
for the very elderly (80 years of age or older). JNC 8 recommends a goal of < 140/90 mm Hg for
the general population under 60 years of age, and a goal of < 150/90 mm Hg for those aged
60 years and older.
 The HYVET trial (Beckett 2008) used a BP target of 150/80 mm Hg for elderly patients at least
80 years old with hypertension. This was achieved among 48% of the patients randomized to the
active treatment.
 There is evidence from the JATOS (JATOS Study Group 2008) and VALISH (Ogihara 2010) trials
that strict BP control among elderly hypertensive patients lowers BP significantly versus moderate
control, but strict control does not have a significant benefit in reducing morbidity or mortality.
11
 The pooled results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in two meta-analyses (Lv 2012 and
2013) show that intensive blood pressure lowering for patients with chronic kidney disease and
proteinuria reduces their risk of kidney failure. An analysis performed by the authors indicates that
a 10 mm Hg reduction in BP may result in an overall reduction of 22% in the risk of kidney failure.
These results may not be generalized to patients with diabetic kidney disease, as these patients
were not included in the majority of the included trials.
 The pooled results of RCTs in two meta-analyses (Arguedas 2013 and Reboldi 2011) indicate
that tight blood pressure control may reduce the risk of stroke in patients with diabetes. The
intensive BP lowering, however, was not found to reduce the risk of fatal and nonfatal events
when combined or when mortality, myocardial infarction, and heart failure were considered
separately.

Why do we differ from the JNC 8 panel in their recommendation to increase the target
systolic blood pressure from 140 mm Hg to 150 mm Hg in persons aged ≥ 60 years
without diabetes or CKD?
1. There is insufficient evidence to support raising the target systolic BP in patients aged ≥ 60 years.
(Note: Insufficient or no evidence of benefit is not the same as evidence of no benefit.)

The JNC 8 panel based their recommendation for raising the BP goal among patients aged
≥ 60 years on the HYVET, Syst-Eur (Staessen 1997), SHEP (Curb 1996), JATOS, VALISH, and
Cardio-Sis (Verdecchia 2009) trials. The panel members indicated that there is moderate- to high-
quality evidence that treating the general population aged ≥ 60 years with high BP to a goal
< 150/90 mm Hg reduces stroke, heart failure, and coronary heart disease. They also noted that
low-quality evidence shows that a systolic BP goal of < 140 mm Hg in this age group provides no
additional benefit versus a higher goal of systolic BP 140 to < 160 mm Hg (JATOS) or 140–
149 mm Hg (VALISH).

The ages of the populations included in the trials the JNC 8 panel cited were ≥ 80 years in
HYVET, 70–< 85 years in VALISH, 65–85 years in JATOS, ≥ 60 years in SHEP and Syst-Eur,
and ≥ 55 years in Cardio-Sis. The mean BP measurements achieved in the active and/or more
intensive treatment groups of these studies were 143.5/77.9 mm Hg, 136.6/74.8 mm Hg,
135.9/74.8 mm Hg, 143/68 mm Hg, 150.8/78.5 mm Hg, and 136/79.2 mm Hg, respectively. The
JATOS and VALISH studies—which the JNC 8 panel referred to as showing no additional benefit
with lower targets—were statistically underpowered to detect such a benefit due to the very low
rates of stroke and CHD reported during follow-up. The majority of these trials suggest that a
systolic BP goal of < 140 mm Hg is safe in non-frail, relatively healthy older patients.

FEVER (Liu 2005)—a large trial with 9,711 Chinese patients aged 50–79 years that was not
included in the JNC 8 review—indicated that a difference in systolic/diastolic BP as small as
4/2 mm Hg (induced by adding low-dose felodipine to low-dose hydrochlorothiazide in the trial) is
associated with significant reductions in the incidence of stroke, all CVD, CHD, heart failure, and
total mortality. The mean BP achieved at study end (60 months) with the addition of felodipine
was 138.1/82.3 mm Hg versus 141.6/83.9 mm Hg with the addition of a placebo. A subgroup
analysis for patients aged > 65 years showed a 44% reduction in all strokes (Zhang 2011).

2. The JNC 8 panel did not disallow treatment to < 140 mm Hg systolic BP. In a corollary
recommendation, the panel indicated that treatment for hypertension does not need to be
adjusted if the treatment results of SBP < 140 mm Hg are not associated with adverse effects on
health or quality of life.

3. The JNC 8 panel recommendation for raising the target BP in patients aged ≥ 60 years was not
based on a unanimous agreement. Some members argued that there was insufficient evidence to
raise the target to 150 mm Hg in high-risk groups such as black persons, those with CVD
including stroke, and those with multiple risk factors. This minority group explained that increasing
the target would probably reduce the intensity of antihypertensive treatment in a large population
at high risk for CVD. The panel agreed that more research is needed to identify optimal goals, yet
they still raised the goal for those ≥ 60 years of age.

4. The American Society of Hypertension/International Society of Hypertension 2014 (Weber 2014),

Canadian CHEP 2013, European ESC/ESC Task Force 2013, ICSI 2012, and NICE 2011
12
 guidelines all recommend a BP goal of < 140/90 mm Hg for the general population aged
< 80 years, and < 150/90 mm Hg for those aged 80 years or over.

5. There is a concern that the higher SBP goal for patients aged ≥ 60 years may increase their risk
of stroke.

6. The risk of cardiovascular events increases with age, and raising the BP goal for patients aged
≥ 60 years will result in inadequate treatment for some higher-risk patients and deprive others of
therapy. This would reduce all the benefits gained in the last few years from reducing blood
pressure.

Why do we recommend a lower BP target for patients with CKD and albuminuria?
The JNC 8 panel recommended a goal of < 140/90 mm Hg for patients aged ≥ 18 years with CKD,
based on expert opinion. The guideline panel, however, suggested that patients > 70 years with CKD
or albuminuria should receive treatment based on comorbidity, frailty, and other patient-specific
factors. They indicated that there was insufficient evidence to support a goal BP of < 140/90 mm Hg
in patients > 70 years with CKD or albuminuria.

The JNC 8 panel’s evidence review did not include meta-analyses or observational studies. The initial
literature search was conducted through December 31, 2009. A second search made through August
2013 was restricted to multicenter RCTs with at least 2,000 participants.

More recent evidence from meta-analyses (Lv 2012 and 2013) not reviewed by the JNC 8 panel
suggests that intensive blood pressure lowering for patients with chronic kidney disease and
proteinuria reduces their risk of major cardiovascular events, composite kidney failure events, and
end-stage kidney disease. The most aggressive trials had an SBP target of < 120 mm Hg (in three of
the trials included in the analysis) and < 130 mm Hg (in one). The DBP target was < 75 mm Hg in one
trial and < 80 mm Hg in two trials.

Antihypertensive pharmacological therapies

 There is evidence from a large meta-analysis (Law 2009) that lowering systolic blood pressure by
10 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure by 5 mm Hg using any of the five classes of
antihypertensive drugs leads to similar risk reduction for CHD and stroke. The more recent Blood
Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration meta-analysis (2013) also showed that the
effects of BP lowering on reducing cardiovascular risk were similar irrespective of the
antihypertensive drugs or regimens used (ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, or
diuretics/beta- blockers).
 There is supporting evidence that: thiazides and ACE inhibitors used as first-line therapy for
hypertension reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality due to CHD, stroke, and other
cardiovascular events; CCBs reduce the risk of stroke but not of CHD events or mortality; and
beta-blockers are inferior in benefit compared with other classes.
 There is evidence from a large meta-analysis (Wald 2009) that the BP reduction from each class
of drug combined with one from another class is approximately additive. The meta-analysis also
shows that combining given doses of two classes of drugs is approximately five times more
effective than doubling the dose of one drug.
 There is good evidence from a large meta-analysis and subsequent validated RCTs that low-dose
combination perindopril-indapamide therapy is more effective in controlling hypertension than
sequential monotherapy or the stepped-care approach (Kang 2004, Mourad 2004 and 2007,
Patel 2007).
 There is some evidence that fixed-dose combination therapies may be associated with higher
rates of compliance and persistence with therapy in addition to better control of blood pressure.
 A Cochrane review and meta-analysis (Heran 2008 - CD003823) showed that there were no
clinically meaningful BP-lowering differences between the different ACE inhibitors. Another meta-
analysis by the same group (Heran 2008 - CD003822) also suggests that no one ARB is superior
or inferior to others.
 The ONTARGET trial (ONTARGET Investigators 2008) provides evidence that ARBs are not

13
 inferior to ACE inhibitors and that combining both classes does not lead to better outcomes but
does lead to more harms.
 There is evidence that the use of beta-blockers (atenolol in 75% of the studies) as a first-line
therapy for hypertension had a weak effect on reducing cardiovascular disease and stroke, and
no effect on reducing CHD compared to placebo. When compared to other active
antihypertensive therapies, it had a trend for worse outcomes and discontinuation of therapy due
to side effects.
 There is some evidence that, compared to other antihypertensive drugs, atenolol used as a first-
line monotherapy had a similar effect in lowering BP but was associated with higher mortality and
stroke (Carlberg 2004, Lindholm 2005). This could be due to the fact that in most atenolol trials
the drug was given in a once-daily dose. According to several investigators, atenolol needs to be
taken more frequently, based on its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties. Atenolol
has a half-life of 6–9 hours and is usually given once daily, while carvedilol and metoprolol have
half-lives of 6–10 hours and 3–7 hours respectively, and are given in at least twice-daily doses
(Neutel 1990, Sarafidis 2008).
 There is evidence that calcium channel blockers slightly decrease the risk of all-cause mortality
and stroke versus other treatments, but increase the risk of heart failure.
 There is insufficient evidence to determine the comparative effectiveness and safety of
chlorthalidone and HCTZ in patients with hypertension. The published evidence from
observational studies and meta-analyses with indirect comparisons was conflicting.
 Dhalla and colleagues’ observational study (2013) suggests that chlorthalidone may be
associated with higher incidence of electrolyte abnormalities in older adults.
 There is evidence from meta-analyses (Heran 2009, Chen 2010) quantifying the dose-related
SBP- and DBP-lowering efficacy of the different antihypertensive agents that:
o For ACE inhibitors, a dose of one-eighth or one-fourth of maximum recommended dose
achieved a BP-lowering effect 60–70% of that attained by the maximum manufacturer-
recommended dose (one-half of the maximum dose achieved BP lowering 90% of the
maximum dose).
o For ARBs, a dose of one-eighth or one-fourth of maximum recommended dose achieved a
BP-lowering effect 60–70% of that attained by the maximum manufacturer-recommended
dose.
o For beta-blockers, the addition of one-fourth the recommended dose to a thiazide or calcium
channel blocker was associated with BP reduction (2.9/1.4 mm Hg). Adding 1x starting dose
was associated with BP reduction of 6/4 mm Hg.

Antihypertensive therapy in the elderly

The HYVET trial (Beckett 2008) provides good evidence that antihypertensive treatment of generally
healthy elderly patients is safe and effective in reducing blood pressure, total mortality, and
cardiovascular events. The results of a large meta-analysis (Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialists'
Collaboration 2008) show that reduction of BP with various drugs is independent of the patient's age or
the drug regimen used, and supports the early and aggressive management of hypertension irrespective
of age.

There is fair evidence that beta-blockers, atenolol in particular, may be associated with a higher rate of
stroke compared to other antihypertensive agents, especially among older patients (Carlberg 2004,
Lindholm 2005, Khan 2006).

Chronotherapy (timing of medication) for hypertension

 There is fair evidence from prospective studies (Ayala 2013, Hermida 2010, Hermida 2011 [J Am
Coll Cardiol], Hermida 2011 [J Am Soc Nephrol], Fan 2010) that the asleep BP mean is a better
predictor of CVD risk than either the awake or 24-hour BP mean.
 There is fair evidence from a number of prospective studies conducted mainly in Spain (Ayala
2013, Hermida 2010, Hermida 2011 [J Am Soc Nephrol], Hermida 2013) that bedtime
administration of antihypertensive medications may lead to better BP control and reduce CVD risk
14
 among the populations studied, which were predominantly male Spanish, Caucasian, and Asian
patients.
 In a review article, the authors of the Spanish studies (Smolensky 2010) recommend taking an
individualized approach and considering the harms and benefits of bedtime therapy for patients
with certain comorbidities. They explained that for certain conditions, such as glaucoma and
advanced vascular ischemic disorders, a too-low asleep BP could be detrimental.
 The benefit of bedtime antihypertensive medication was observed for ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and
diuretics, as well as other commonly prescribed antihypertensive medications and combinations
(Hermida 2011 [Am J Hypertens], Hermida 2011 [Chronobiol Int], Zeng 2011).

Lifestyle modification
The literature on the effect of lifestyle change on the control of hypertension is limited. All trials were small
to moderate in size and only addressed the effect of lifestyle modification on BP control, not on morbidity
and mortality. The PREMIERE trial that compared three interventions among patients with pre- or mild
hypertension showed that the prevalence of hypertension was significantly lower in the group that
received established recommendations plus the DASH diet than in the group that received advice only
(Elmer 2006). There is also fair evidence from meta-analyses of small studies with some methodological
flaws that a weight-reducing diet and salt and alcohol restrictions are associated with significant
reductions in blood pressure. However, it is unclear whether these short-term lifestyle changes can
reduce the need for medications or improve morbidity and mortality (Horvath 2008, Dickinson 2006).

Recommendations on lifestyle modification in the current guideline were adopted from JNC 8 panel
recommendations, which were based on the 2013 ACC/AHA guideline on lifestyle management to reduce
cardiovascular risk.

Home monitoring of blood pressure

There is evidence from several meta-analyses that patients diagnosed with hypertension in the office who
monitor their blood pressure at home are more likely to achieve their target BP value than those
monitored in the office (Cappuccio 2004, Verberk 2005, Ishikawa 2008). The studies included in the
meta-analyses were conducted in different settings and used different criteria for including patients,
different methods for monitoring blood pressure, and different, higher targets than those currently
recommended. According to the published literature and external guidelines reviewed, the goal of blood
pressure < 140/90 mm Hg when BP is measured in the office is equivalent to < 135/85 mm Hg when
measured at home.

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Guideline Development Process and Team
Development process
To develop the Hypertension Guideline, the guideline team adapted recommendations from externally
developed evidence-based guidelines and/or recommendations of organizations that establish community
standards. The guideline team reviewed additional evidence using an evidence-based process, including
systematic literature search, critical appraisal, and evidence synthesis. For details, see Evidence
Summary and References.

This edition of the guideline was approved for publication by the Guideline Oversight Group in
August 2014.

Team
The Hypertension Guideline development team included representatives from the following specialties:
cardiology, family medicine, nephrology, nursing, pharmacy, and residency.

Clinician lead: Angie Sparks, MD, Medical Director, Clinical Knowledge Development & Support
Guideline coordinator: Avra Cohen, RN, MN, Clinical Improvement & Prevention

Paul Brock, RPh, Pharmacy Administration

Diane Dozois, MD, Family Medicine
Scott Haugen, MD, Cardiology
Robyn Mayfield, Health Education Specialist, Clinical Improvement & Prevention
Lisa Nguyen, PharmD, BCPS, Pharmacy Administration
Nadia Salama, MD, PhD, Epidemiologist, Clinical Improvement & Prevention
Karen Severson, RN, Nursing Operations
Ann Stedronsky, Clinical Publications, Clinical Improvement & Prevention
Derek Sylte, MD, Residency
Chris Thayer, MD, Family Medicine
Jason Wong, MD, Family Medicine
Ilan Zawadzki, MD, Nephrology

Disclosure of conflict of interest

Kaiser Permanente requires that team members participating on a guideline team disclose and resolve all
potential conflicts of interest that arise from financial relationships between a guideline team member or
guideline team member's spouse or partner and any commercial interests or proprietary entity that
provides or produces health care–related products and/or services relevant to the content of the
guideline.

Team members listed above have disclosed that their participation on the Hypertension Guideline team
includes no promotion of any commercial products or services, and that they have no relationships with
commercial entities to report.

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