New Australian hypertension guideline: MJA
This week’s MJA features an editorial and a summary of the updated National Heart Foundation of Australia guideline for the diagnosis and management of hypertension in adults.
In his editorial, Professor Garry Jennings commended the new guidelines, commenting that they were “adapted for Australian conditions at a time when knowledge of the field has been moving rapidly”.
A major change from earlier guidelines is the recommendation for a lower target blood pressure (≤ 120 mmHg) in high risk patients. This change follows a trial, published in 2015, in which benefit was demonstrated in a selected high risk population, but with some increase in treatment-related adverse effects.
Dr Genevieve Gabb, a clinical expert involved in the guideline update, and her co-authors wrote that selection of a blood pressure target should be based on informed, shared decision making between patients and health care providers considering the benefits and harms.
Other topics in this week’s MJA include:
