Target goal blood pressure in hypertension management

ABSTRACT

As recently as about 50 years ago, hypertension was considered a natural protective mechanism that should not be treated. However, after the completion of the first Multicenter Veterans Administration Cooperative Study proving the benefits of blood pressure-lowering treatment for cardiovascular protection, there has been no more debate regarding the importance of controlling hypertension. Nevertheless, the most appropriate target blood pressure goal has been continuously debated. The recently published Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial has again shifted the balance of consensus towards strict blood pressure control. Herein, I provide a brief summary history of the establishment of target blood pressure goals and current perspectives.