Comparison of the Treatment Implications of American Society of Hypertension and International Society of Hypertension 2013 and Eighth Joint National Committee Guidelines

Multiple guidelines and statements related to hypertension have recently been published. Much discord has arisen from discrepant treatment and target systolic blood pressure thresholds for individuals aged 60 to 79 years of <150 mm Hg in the guideline published by members assigned to the Eighth Joint National Committee and <140 mm Hg in a statement by the American Society of Hypertension and International Society of Hypertension 2013. We sought to evaluate the public health implications of these differences using data from the 2005 to 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles. NHANES is an ongoing survey designed to allow characterization of the US population and subpopulations. We found that only .2.4% (95% confidence interval, 1.5.3.2%) of adults aged 60 to 79 years had indications for antihypertensive treatment under the more stringent American Society of Hypertension and International Society of Hypertension 2013 guideline but not under Eighth Joint National Committee. About 65.7% (95% confidence interval, 62.4.69.0%) of adults aged 60 to 79 years had indications for treatment under both guidelines. Furthermore, those with indications for treatment under American Society of Hypertension and International Society of Hypertension 2013 but not under Eighth Joint National Committee generally had higher systolic blood pressure and less favorable lipid profiles compared with those with indications for treatment under both guidelines. Importantly, a larger group, comprising 21.0% (95% confidence interval, 18.7.23.2%) of adults aged 60 to 79 years, had either untreated or inadequately treated hypertension and represents an important group for continued efforts.