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Published on: September 26, 2018

Prehypertension and risk of cardiovascular disease

Kayalar Atilla1, Ramachandran S Vasan

  • 1Metro West Medical Center Framimngham, Framingham, MA 01702, USA. akayalar@massnmed.org

Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy
|December 27, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Blood pressure has a continuous link to vascular risk, with no safe lower limit. The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC VII) defined prehypertension to address this risk.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Epidemiologic data reveal a continuous relationship between vascular risk and blood pressure, extending to 115/75 mmHg.
  • A critical threshold for 'high' blood pressure is absent, indicating risk at lower levels.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce and define the category 'prehypertension' based on blood pressure levels between 120-139/80-89 mmHg.
  • To highlight the significant prevalence and cardiovascular disease risk within the prehypertensive population.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing data from the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC VII).
  • Estimating global cardiovascular risk using standardized risk prediction algorithms for prehypertensive individuals.

Main Results:

  • Prehypertension affects an estimated 31% of the US population (70 million individuals).
  • Cardiovascular disease risk in prehypertensive individuals is not uniform and increases with other vascular risk factors.

Conclusions:

  • A strategy of estimating global cardiovascular risk and adjusting treatment intensity based on absolute risk is recommended for prehypertension.
  • Adopting a healthier lifestyle is a critical therapeutic component for managing prehypertension as per JNC VII guidelines.

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