[Guidelines for the management of hypertension]

Area of Science:

• Cardiology and Hypertension Management

Context:

• Recent years have seen the publication of several guidelines for arterial hypertension management by scientific societies.
• In Spain, two guidelines have significantly influenced clinical practice: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) guideline (last updated in 2003) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Society of Hypertension (ESH) guideline (latest version in 2007, updated in 2009).

Purpose:

• To review and compare recent clinical practice guidelines for arterial hypertension management.
• To highlight the contributions and focus of the new 2013 ESC/ESH document and the JNC 8 report.

Summary:

• The 2013 ESC/ESH guideline emphasizes an educational approach rooted in clinical practice, maintaining many previous recommendations but with enhanced rigor.
• Key contributions include specifying the level of evidence and grade of recommendation for each point, presented in a practical format with tables, figures, and recommendation blocks.
• The JNC 8 report specifically addresses three priority questions concerning drug therapy for hypertension, resulting in nine distinct recommendations.

Impact:

• The 2013 ESC/ESH guideline provides a more rigorous and practical resource for clinicians managing arterial hypertension.
• The JNC 8 report offers focused, evidence-based recommendations on pharmacologic treatment strategies for hypertension.