BP Meds Should Begin Promptly, New ACC/AHA Guidelines Say

The target blood pressure level for adults remains below 130/80 mm Hg, but drug therapy should be initiated sooner, according to new guidelines published Thursday by the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC). Eleven other medical organizations endorsed the new guidelines, which replace those issued in 2017.

“We’re trying to get started earlier in the process of preventing cardiovascular disease,” said Daniel W. Jones, MD, dean and professor emeritus of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson, who chaired the guidelines committee.

Almost half of American adults have hypertension , according to the AHA .

In the previous guidelines, a systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or higher or a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg and ab