Abstract |
Approximately 37% of US adults are prehypertensive; about 31 million have blood pressures in the range of 130-139/85-89 mm Hg. These stage 2 prehypertensives have threefold greater risk for developing hypertension and twofold higher risk for cardiovascular events than normotensives. Lifestyle changes only are recommended for most prehypertensives, but evidence for community-wide effectiveness is limited. Projected numbers needed to treat to prevent a cardiovascular event are similar for stage 2 prehypertension and stage 1 hypertension when both groups are matched for concomitant risk factors. However, no clinical trials document that pharmacotherapy reduces cardiovascular events in stage 2 prehypertension. The Trial of Preventing Hypertension demonstrated that angiotensin receptor blockade safely lowers blood pressure and prevents or delays progression to hypertension in stage 2 prehypertensives. We believe it is reasonable for clinicians to identify stage 2 prehypertensives at high absolute risk for progression to hypertension and cardiovascular events, and to treat them with a renin-angiotensin system blocker when lifestyle changes alone are ineffective.
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Authors | Brent M Egan, Stevo Julius |
Journal | Current hypertension reports
(Curr Hypertens Rep)
Vol. 10
Issue 5
Pg. 359-66
(Oct 2008)
ISSN: 1534-3111 [Electronic] United States |
PMID | 18775112
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
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Chemical References |
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Topics |
- Antihypertensive Agents
(therapeutic use)
- Disease Progression
- Feeding Behavior
- Humans
- Hypertension
(diagnosis, drug therapy, epidemiology, etiology, physiopathology)
- Life Style
- Risk Assessment
- Risk Factors
- Time Factors
- United States
(epidemiology)
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