This is a must read guideline! The main changes are: using Ambulatory Blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) to diagnose hypertension, using different cut off levels for treatment in the over 80s, using calcium channel blockers (CCB) as first line in the over 55s and good-bye to bendrofluazide.
They split hypertension into 3 ‘stages’. HBPM is home blood pressure monitoring:
- Stage 1 Clinic ≥ 140/90 and ABPM or HBPM ≥ 135/85
- Stage 2 Clinic ≥ 160/100 and ABPM or HBPM ≥ 150/95
- Severe Clinic ≥ 180/110
HBPM should be done on 7 consecutive days, discarding readings from day 1. It should be done sitting, with 2 readings a minute a part, twice a day.