Overview of JNC VI: new directions in the management of hypertension and cardiovascular risk

Treatment recommendations for hypertension as outlined in the Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC VI) are constantly evolving and being refined as new information on the disease becomes evident. Uncontrolled hypertension is a major antecedent of stroke, heart failure, coronary heart disease, and end-stage renal disease. The increasing incidences of both cardiovascular and renal diseases fuel the need for improved control of hypertension. In fact, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), about 69% of Americans whose blood pressure is greater than 140/90 mm Hg are aware of it, about half are getting treatment for it, and only about one-quarter are adequately controlled. These observations fuel the need for improved patient management guidelines. JNC VI makes several changes from the previous JNC V to assist physicians in the diagnosis, treatment, and improved management of patients with hypertension. These changes include reporting adult blood pressure in two new ways, via staging and risk factor classification. A high-normal classification (systolic: 130 to 139 mm Hg, or diastolic: 85 to 89 mm Hg) is included in JNC VI because of the clinical importance of such blood pressure contributing to cardiovascular disease. Additionally, clinicians are advised to assign a patient to one of three risk categories that, in addition to hypertension stage, influence the decision to select antihypertensive drug therapy. Lifestyle modification is an important component at each stage. These and other changes and highlights of recent studies supporting the need for more intensive blood pressure control are discussed in this paper.