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Treating prehypertension: A review of the evidence

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Abstract

Although the term “prehypertension” has been challenged by some, its use to define people with systolic blood pressure (BP) between 120 and 139 mm Hg and/or diastolic pressures between 80 and 89 mm Hg has gained general acceptance. The category includes as many people as the number who have hypertension, defined as blood pressure of 140/90 or above. Such people are clearly at an increased risk of cardiovascular damage compared with people with BPs below 120/80 mm Hg. The major unresolved issue is the appropriate management of such patients. Two trials have attempted to document the value of short-term drug therapy to prevent the progression of BP to overt hypertension, but no outcome studies are currently available.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX, 25390, USA

    Norman M. Kaplan

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  1. Norman M. Kaplan
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Correspondence to Norman M. Kaplan.

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Kaplan, N.M. Treating prehypertension: A review of the evidence. Current Science Inc 10, 326–329 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-008-0060-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-008-0060-8

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