Hypertension Guidelines of 2006

A number of hypertension guidelines exist from 2006, which are meant for medical practitioners. The National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) has published a comprehensive article on these guidelines from the Kaiser Permanente Care Management Institute.

NGC-Published Guidelines

• The Kaiser Permanente guidelines published by NGC are based on literature review. They are meant as a resource for physicians and other professionals counseling adults with hypertension (high blood pressure). They are not intended to replace independent clinical judgment by the physician. The National Guideline Clearinghouse, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, does not approve or endorse the guidelines they present for information.

Blood Pressure Classification

• Most blood pressure classifications follow the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC7), published in 2003. According to JNC7, normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 (both numbers). If your blood pressure is either systolic 120 to 139 or diastolic 80 to 89, you have prehypertension. Hypertension Stage 1 is a blood pressure of systolic 140 to 159 and/or diastolic 90 to 99. Stage 2 is 160 and over and/or 100 and over.

Blood Pressure Measurements

• The numbers in blood pressure measurements are in millimeters of mercury (mm/Hg). The top number, which is always higher, is called systolic, and the bottom number is diastolic.