New Blood Pressure Guidelines
New UK Blood Pressure Guidelines Published
The last UK blood pressure guidelines were published in 2004.
NICE – the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has just produced a new guideline on blood pressure treatment for the UK.
The information in the original guideline covering other aspects of managing the condition, such as lifestyle interventions, is still current.
The key points from the updated guideline include the following:
• Blood pressure sufferers aged 55 and over, or Black patients of any age, should have a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide-type diuretic as first choice treatment. Black patients are those of African or Caribbean descent, and not mixed race, Asian or Chinese patients. The commonest calcium channel blocker drug is Istin or Amlodipine. The commonest thiazide diuretic drug is bendrofluazide.
• In blood pressure patients younger than 55, the first choice for treatment should be an ACE inhibitor. Common ACE inhibitor drugs include enalapril, lisinopril and perindopril.• If initial therapy was with a calcium channel blocker or thiazide-type diuretic and a second drug is required, then the doctor is advised to add an ACE inhibitor.If initial therapy was with an ACE inhibitor, add a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide-type diuretic.
• If treatment with three drugs is required, the combination of ACE inhibitor and a calcium channel blocker and a thiazide-type diuretic should be used.
Beta-blockers are no longer recommended for first line therapy as the evidence suggests that they perform less well than other drugs, particularly in the elderly, and there is increasing evidence that the most frequently used beta-blockers at usual doses carry an unacceptable risk of provoking type 2 diabetes.
The last UK blood pressure guidelines were published in 2004.
NICE – the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has just produced a new guideline on blood pressure treatment for the UK.
The information in the original guideline covering other aspects of managing the condition, such as lifestyle interventions, is still current.
The key points from the updated guideline include the following:
• Blood pressure sufferers aged 55 and over, or Black patients of any age, should have a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide-type diuretic as first choice treatment. Black patients are those of African or Caribbean descent, and not mixed race, Asian or Chinese patients. The commonest calcium channel blocker drug is Istin or Amlodipine. The commonest thiazide diuretic drug is bendrofluazide.
• In blood pressure patients younger than 55, the first choice for treatment should be an ACE inhibitor. Common ACE inhibitor drugs include enalapril, lisinopril and perindopril.• If initial therapy was with a calcium channel blocker or thiazide-type diuretic and a second drug is required, then the doctor is advised to add an ACE inhibitor.If initial therapy was with an ACE inhibitor, add a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide-type diuretic.
• If treatment with three drugs is required, the combination of ACE inhibitor and a calcium channel blocker and a thiazide-type diuretic should be used.
Beta-blockers are no longer recommended for first line therapy as the evidence suggests that they perform less well than other drugs, particularly in the elderly, and there is increasing evidence that the most frequently used beta-blockers at usual doses carry an unacceptable risk of provoking type 2 diabetes.
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