Hypertensionisaleadingriskfactorforcardiovasculardisease,theleadingcauseofdeathandmorbidityinoursocietyandonaglobalscale.Majorcomponentsofcardiovasculardiseaseincludestroke,coronaryarterydisease,heartfailure,andchronickidneydisease,inallofwhichhypertensionplaysamajorrole.Theriskofthesecomplicationsincreasesdirectlyandlinearlywithsystolicbloodpressurestartingat115mmHg.Althoughusuallyasymptomatic,hypertensionisreadilydetectableonphysicalexaminationandisamenabletobothlifestylemodificationandpharmacologictreatmentinmostpatients.However,largeproportionsofthehypertensivepopulationremainundetectedandundertreated.Numerousguidelineshavebeenissuedduringthepastfewdecadestopromotedetectionandoptimaltherapy.Despitetheincreaseinriskwithsystolicbloodpressuregreaterthan115mmHg,thegenerallyacceptedthresholdfordiagnosisandtreatmenthasbeensystolicbloodpressuregreaterthan139mmHganddiastolicbloodpressuregreaterthan80mmHgbecauseuntilrecentlytreatmenttolowerlevelshasbeenassociatedwithanunfavorablerelationbetweenclinicalbenefitandharm.Inthepastseveralyears,newguidelines,advisories,commentaries,andclinicaltrialshaveprovidedevidenceforapotentialchangeincurrentrecommendationsforthemanagementofhypertension.Inthisregard,thelong-awaitedeighthreportoftheJointNationalCommitteeonthePrevention,Detection,Evaluation,andTreatmentofHighBloodPressurerecommendedpatientsolderthan60yearsbetreatedtoasystolicbloodpressureoflessthan150mmHg,whichhasgeneratedconsiderablecontroversyandcaution.ThestrikingfindingsoftheSystolicBloodPressureInterventionTrial(SPRINT)havereceivedconsiderableattentionbecauseofthedemonstrationthatintensivetherapytoatargetsystolicbloodpressurebelow120mmHgdecreasescardiovascularmortalityandmorbiditymorethanlessintensivetreatmenttoatargetsystolicbloodpressurebelow140mmHg
