The purpose of the Seventh Report of the Joint
National Committee on Prevention, Detection,
Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood
Pressure (JNC 7) is to provide an evidence-based
approach to the prevention and management of
hypertension. The key messages of this report
are: in those older than age 50, systolic blood
pressure (SBP) of >140 mmHg is a more important
cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk
factor than diastolic BP (DBP); beginning
at 115/75 mmHg, CVD risk doubles for each
increment of 20/10 mmHg; those who are
normotensive at 55 years of age will have a
90 percent lifetime risk of developing hypertension;
prehypertensive individuals (SBP 120–139
mmHg or DBP 80–89 mmHg) require healthpromoting
lifestyle modifications to prevent the
progressive rise in blood pressure and CVD; for
uncomplicated hypertension, thiazide diuretic
should be used in drug treatment for most,
either alone or combined with drugs from other
classes; this report delineates specific
high-risk conditions, which are compelling
indications for the use of other antihypertensive
drug classes (angiotensin-converting enzyme
inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers, beta
blockers, calcium channel blockers); two or
more antihypertensive medications will be
required to achieve goal BP (