Critical analysis of American heart association and European society of cardiology guidelines for hypertension

Abstract

This study places more of an emphasis on the hypertensive guidelines that are recommended for the management of hypertension by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA), as well as the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Society of Hypertension (ESH). This study examines the development of several different guidelines and focuses primarily on contrasting the similarities and differences that are given by American and European guidelines. Both sets of recommendations encourage the use of an optimal method for measuring blood pressure, such as the use of home blood pressure (BP) monitoring, or ambulatory monitoring, which a key recommendation is given by both sets of recommendations for the primary prevention of hypertension, and non-pharmacological treatment, such as modifying one’s lifestyle, as the primary intervention. There are some differences between American and European BP treatment guidelines when it comes to determining what constitutes high BP and determining what BP level should serve as the treatment goal. To start pharmacological therapy, the AHA and ACC suggest maintaining a BP of at least 130/80 mmHg with an ASCVD positive or a cardiovascular risk of more than 10%, but the ESH and ESC propose maintaining a BP of at least 140–159/90–99 mmHg. Following American rules, high BP is divided into two stages; however, according to European recommendations, it is divided into three stages. Both sets of recommendations strongly encourage the use of combination therapies that only require one pill, such as single-pill treatment for multiple conditions, and both sets of recommendations restrict the use of certain drugs, such as beta-blockers, to patients who also have additional medical conditions.