CLINICAL GUIDELINE

Pharmacologic Treatment of Hypertension in Adults Aged 60 Years

or Older to Higher Versus Lower Blood Pressure Targets: A Clinical
Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians and the
American Academy of Family Physicians
Amir Qaseem, MD, PhD, MHA; Timothy J. Wilt, MD, MPH; Robert Rich, MD; Linda L. Humphrey, MD, MPH; Jennifer Frost, MD; and
Mary Ann Forciea, MD; for the Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians and the Commission on
Health of the Public and Science of the American Academy of Family Physicians*

Description: The American College of Physicians (ACP) and the recommendation, high-quality evidence). ACP and AAFP recom-
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) jointly devel- mend that clinicians select the treatment goals for adults aged 60
oped this guideline to present the evidence and provide clinical years or older based on a periodic discussion of the benets and
recommendations based on the benets and harms of higher harms of specic blood pressure targets with the patient.
versus lower blood pressure targets for the treatment of hyper- Recommendation 2: ACP and AAFP recommend that clinicians
tension in adults aged 60 years or older. consider initiating or intensifying pharmacologic treatment in
Methods: This guideline is based on a systematic review of pub- adults aged 60 years or older with a history of stroke or transient
lished randomized, controlled trials for primary outcomes and ischemic attack to achieve a target systolic blood pressure of less
observational studies for harms only (identied through than 140 mm Hg to reduce the risk for recurrent stroke. (Grade:
EMBASE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MED- weak recommendation, moderate-quality evidence). ACP and
LINE, and ClinicalTrials.gov), from database inception through AAFP recommend that clinicians select the treatment goals for
January 2015. The MEDLINE search was updated through Sep- adults aged 60 years or older based on a periodic discussion of
tember 2016. Evaluated outcomes included all-cause mortality, the benets and harms of specic blood pressure targets with the
morbidity and mortality related to stroke, major cardiac events patient.
(fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac Recommendation 3: ACP and AAFP recommend that clinicians
death), and harms. This guideline grades the evidence and rec- consider initiating or intensifying pharmacologic treatment in
ommendations using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations some adults aged 60 years or older at high cardiovascular risk,
Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) method. based on individualized assessment, to achieve a target systolic
Target Audience and Patient Population: The target audi- blood pressure of less than 140 mm Hg to reduce the risk for
ence for this guideline includes all clinicians, and the target pa- stroke or cardiac events. (Grade: weak recommendation, low-
tient population includes all adults aged 60 years or older with quality evidence). ACP and AAFP recommend that clinicians se-
hypertension. lect the treatment goals for adults aged 60 years or older based
Recommendation 1: ACP and AAFP recommend that clinicians on a periodic discussion of the benets and harms of specic
initiate treatment in adults aged 60 years or older with systolic blood pressure targets with the patient.
blood pressure persistently at or above 150 mm Hg to achieve a Ann Intern Med. 2017;166:430-437. doi:10.7326/M16-1785 Annals.org
target systolic blood pressure of less than 150 mm Hg to reduce For author afliations, see end of text.
the risk for mortality, stroke, and cardiac events. (Grade: strong This article was published at Annals.org on 17 January 2017.

See also:
H ypertension, an elevation of systemic arterial blood
pressure (BP), is a very common chronic disease in
the United States. The overall prevalence of hyperten-
Related article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 sion among U.S. adults is 29.0%, and it increases to
Editorial comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445 64.9% in adults aged 60 years or older (1). Hyperten-
Summary for Patients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-26 sion was associated with a total of $46 billion in health
care services, medications, and missed days of work in
Web-Only the United States in 2011 (2).
CME quiz

* This paper, written by Amir Qaseem, MD, PhD, MHA; Timothy J. Wilt, MD, MPH; Robert Rich, MD; Linda L. Humphrey, MD, MPH; Jennifer Frost, MD; and
Mary Ann Forciea, MD, was developed for the Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians (ACP) and the Commission on Health of
the Public and Science of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Individuals who served on the ACP Clinical Guidelines Committee from initiation
of the project until its approval were Mary Ann Forciea, MD (Chair); Nick Fitterman, MD (Vice Chair); Michael J. Barry, MD; Cynthia Boyd, MD, MPH; Carrie
A. Horwitch, MD, MPH; Linda L. Humphrey, MD, MPH; Alfonso Iorio, MD, PhD; Devan Kansagara, MD, MCR; Scott Manaker, MD, PhD; Robert M. McLean,
MD; Sandeep Vijan, MD, MS; and Timothy J. Wilt, MD, MPH. Members of the AAFP's Commission on Health of the Public and Science were Patricia Czapp,
MD (Chair); Ada Denise Stewart, MD; David T. OGurek, MD; Joseph L. Perez, MD, MBA; Margot L. Savoy, MD, MPH; Kenneth W. Lin, MD, MPH; Jason
M. Matuszak, MD; Ranit Mishori, MD, MHS; Daron W. Gersch, MD; Clare A. Hawkins, MD, MSc; Beulette Y. Hooks, MD; Robyn Liu, MD, MPH; Shannon
Dowler, MD; Shani Muhammad, MD; Tobie-Lynn Smith, MD, MPH; James Stevermer, MD; Carolyn Gaughan; Vivian Jiang, MD; and Aisha Harris.
Approved by the ACP Board of Regents on 16 July 2016. Approved by the AAFP Board of Directors on 20 July 2016.
Author (participated in discussion and voting).
Nonauthor contributor (participated in discussion but not voting).

430 2017 American College of Physicians

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 Pharmacologic Treatment of Hypertension in Adults CLINICAL GUIDELINE
Appropriate management of hypertension reduces Table. The American College of Physicians' Guideline
the risk for cardiovascular disease, renal disease, cere- Grading System*
brovascular disease, and death (3 6). However, deter-
mining the most appropriate BP targets, particularly for Quality of Strength of Recommendation
Evidence
adults aged 60 years or older, has been controversial.
Benets Clearly Outweigh Risks Benets Finely Balanced
Debate about the goal for systolic BP (SBP) among and Burden or Risks and Burden With Risks and Burden
adults treated for hypertension has intensied, espe- Clearly Outweigh Benets
cially in light of recent recommendations (7). In addi- High Strong Weak
tion, when selecting BP targets for adults aged 60 years Moderate Strong Weak
or older, clinicians need to consider comorbid condi- Low Strong Weak
tions that could affect treatment choice. Treatments for Insufcient evidence to determine net benets or risks
hypertension include lifestyle modications, such as
weight loss, dietary modication, and increased physi- * Adopted from the classication developed by the GRADE (Grading
cal activity, and antihypertensive medications, which of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation)
workgroup.
commonly include thiazide-type diuretics, angiotensin-
converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin-
receptor blockers (ARBs), calcium-channel blockers,
and -blockers. the published review article was peer reviewed through
the journal. The guideline had a peer-review process
through the journal and was posted online for com-
GUIDELINE FOCUS AND TARGET POPULATION ments from ACP Regents and Governors, who repre-
The purpose of this American College of Physicians sent physician members at the national and interna-
(ACP) and American Academy of Family Physicians tional level. The guideline was also reviewed by
(AAFP) joint guideline is to present evidence-based members of AAFP's Commission on Health of the Pub-
recommendations on the benets and harms of higher lic and Science.
(<150 mm Hg) versus lower (140 mm Hg) SBP targets
for the treatment of hypertension in adults aged 60 BENEFITS OF TREATING HIGHER VERSUS
years or older. The target audience for this guideline
includes all clinicians, and the target patient population
LOWER BP TARGETS IN OLDER ADULTS
includes adults aged 60 years or older with hyperten- Across all trials, treating high BP in older adults was
sion. These recommendations are based on a back- benecial. However, most of the evidence came from
ground evidence review (8) and systematic review studies of patients with moderate or severe hyperten-
sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sion (SBP >160 mm Hg) at baseline and, with treatment,
(VA) (9). achieved SBP targets greater than 140 mm Hg.
Differing BP Targets
High-quality evidence showed reductions in all-
METHODS cause mortality (relative risk [RR], 0.90 [95% CI, 0.83 to
Systematic Review of the Evidence 0.98]; absolute risk reduction [ARR], 1.64), stroke (RR,
The evidence review was conducted by the Port- 0.74 [CI, 0.65 to 0.84]; ARR, 1.13), and cardiac events
land VA Health Care System Evidence-based Synthesis (RR, 0.77 [CI, 0.68 to 0.89]; ARR, 1.25) for treating pa-
Program. The summary of methods for the evidence tients with a baseline SBP of 160 mm Hg or greater who
review can be found in the Appendix (available at An- achieved a target SBP of less than 150 mm Hg (1121).
nals.org). Additional details are included in the accom- In studies with lower SBP targets (<140 mm Hg),
panying background evidence review (8) and the full low-quality evidence showed no statistically signicant
evidence report (9). reduction in all-cause mortality (RR, 0.86 [CI, 0.69 to
Grading the Evidence and Developing 1.06]; ARR, 0.80) or cardiac events (RR, 0.82 [CI, 0.64 to
Recommendations 1.00]; ARR, 0.94) (1113, 20, 22, 23). For studies with
lower BP targets, moderate-quality evidence showed a
This guideline was jointly developed by ACP's Clin-
reduced risk for stroke (RR, 0.79 [CI, 0.59 to 0.99]; ARR,
ical Guidelines Committee and representatives from
0.49) compared with higher BP targets (1113, 20, 22,
AAFP according to ACP's guideline development pro-
23). Many of these studies, however, did not achieve
cess, details of which can be found in the methods pa-
the targeted BP, and there was little difference be-
per (10). The committee used the evidence tables in
tween the intensive treatment and control groups.
the accompanying systematic review (8) and full report
Therefore, these studies may not have been able to
(9) when reporting the evidence and graded the rec-
detect differences in clinical outcomes.
ommendations using the GRADE (Grading of Recom-
A subgroup analysis compared studies that
mendations Assessment, Development, and Evalua-
achieved lower SBP targets (<140 mm Hg) with those
tion) method (Table).
that achieved higher SBP targets (140 mm Hg) (1113,
Peer Review 20, 2225). For these subgroups, high-quality evidence
The VA evidence review was peer reviewed and showed a similar risk reduction for mortality (RR for tar-
posted on the VA Web site for public comments, and get 140 mm Hg, 0.91 [CI, 0.84 to 0.99] vs. RR for tar-
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 CLINICAL GUIDELINE Pharmacologic Treatment of Hypertension in Adults

get <140 mm Hg, 0.84 [CI, 0.74 to 0.95]) and cardiac treatment. This is probably related to the higher fre-
events (RR for target 140 mm Hg, 0.78 [CI, 0.68 to quency of cardiovascular events seen in these patients.
0.93] vs. RR for target <140 mm Hg, 0.83 [CI, 0.70 to Treatment Effects According to Diastolic BP
0.94]). The relative reduction in stroke events was
Evidence was insufcient to determine the benet
slightly larger for studies that achieved a target SBP of
of treating diastolic hypertension in the absence of sys-
140 mm Hg or greater (RR, 0.72 [CI, 0.62 to 0.82]) than
tolic hypertension. Most trials assessed treatment out-
those that achieved a target SBP of less than 140 mm
comes based on SBP, and no trials included patients
Hg (RR, 0.81 [CI, 0.66 to 0.96]). These studies had
with a mean diastolic BP (DBP) greater than 90 mm Hg
marked clinical differences and signicant statistical
and a mean SBP less than 140 mm Hg.
heterogeneity, which should temper condence in the
pooled results. Use of antihypertensive agents varied
widely across studies: 7 used ACEIs or ARBs, 5 used HARMS OF HIGHER VERSUS LOWER BP
calcium-channel blockers, and 6 used thiazide-like TARGETS IN OLDER ADULTS
diuretics. Studies showed mixed ndings for withdrawal due
to adverse events. Treatment to lower BP targets in-
Differing BP Targets in Patients With Transient
creased withdrawals due to adverse events in 4 out of
Ischemic Attack or Stroke 10 trials (RR, 44% to 100%); cough and hypotension
Among patients with a history of stroke or transient were the most frequently reported adverse events (13,
ischemic attack (TIA), moderate-quality evidence 15, 17, 18, 20, 24, 27, 29, 31, 32). Low-quality evidence
showed that treating to an SBP of 130 to 140 mm Hg showed an increased risk for syncope associated with
reduced stroke recurrence (RR, 0.76 [CI, 0.66 to 0.92]; treatment to lower BP targets (achieved SBP range,
ARR, 3.02) but not cardiac events (RR, 0.78 [CI, 0.61 to 121.5 to 143 mm Hg) (RR, 1.52 [CI, 1.22 to 2.07]) (18,
1.08]) or all-cause mortality (RR, 0.98 [CI, 0.85 to 1.19]) 23, 28). Low-quality evidence showed no difference in
(26, 27). Heterogeneity for this analysis was low. renal outcomes (including end-stage renal disease) for
treatment to higher versus lower BP targets (13, 15, 16,
Differing BP Targets Based on Age 18, 20, 2225, 28, 29, 3234). Moderate-quality evi-
Low-quality evidence showed similar effects across dence showed no differences between treatment to
different age groups (1214, 16, 18 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, higher versus lower BP targets in the degree of cogni-
29). A subgroup analysis of SPRINT (Systolic Blood tive decline or dementia (18, 27, 3539), fractures (40,
Pressure Intervention Trial) that was not included in the 41), or quality of life (17, 42 44). Low-quality evidence
evidence review showed that patients aged 75 years or showed no difference for treatment to higher versus
older had lower all-cause mortality and nonstatistically lower BP targets on functional status (42) or the risk for
signicantly lower cardiovascular mortality, morbidity, falls (23, 40). A subgroup analysis of SPRINT showed a
and incidence of stroke with treatment to SBP targets nonstatistically signicant increase in the rate of serious
less than 120 mm Hg compared with SBP targets less adverse events, hypotension, syncope, electrolyte ab-
than 140 mm Hg (30). normalities, or acute kidney injury in patients aged 75
years or older who were treated to SBP targets less
Differing BP Targets Based on Multiple Chronic than 120 mm Hg versus SBP targets less than 140 mm
Conditions Hg (28).
No trials assessed the effect of comorbidity on the Although electrolyte disturbances are a common
benets of more aggressive BP treatment. Low-quality adverse effect of hypertension treatment in clinical
evidence from subgroup analyses showed greater ab- practice, data were not presented on these abnormali-
solute benet from more intensive BP treatment in pa- ties in the evidence review. Drugs to treat hypertension
tients with high cardiovascular risk (22, 29 31). How- have well-known adverse effects, including hypokale-
ever, patients with a high comorbidity burden were mia, hyperkalemia, hyponatremia, hypotension, dizzi-
probably not included in the overall group of studies ness, headache, edema, erectile dysfunction, and
(8). Of the 21 trials included in the review, 14 excluded cough.
patients with heart failure, 11 excluded those with re-
cent cardiovascular events, 17 excluded those with ab- Effect of Age
normal renal function, 12 excluded those with cancer or Low-quality evidence showed no difference in ad-
other life-limiting illness, 15 had criteria that would im- verse events, including unsteadiness, dizziness, and re-
plicitly or explicitly exclude those with dementia or di- nal failure, in patients younger or older than 75 years
minished functional status, and 7 excluded either all (13, 23, 28).
diabetic patients or those who required insulin. Al- Effect of Multiple Chronic Conditions
though ndings from ACCORD (Action to Control Car- No trials assessed the effect of comorbid condi-
diovascular Risk in Diabetes), which limited enrollment tions on harms.
to patients with type 2 diabetes, found no reduction in
mortality or major cardiovascular events with more in-
tensive treatment, a subgroup analysis of 7 studies (12, RECOMMENDATIONS
14, 18 20, 28, 29) in diabetic patients suggested that The Figure summarizes the recommendations and
they were at least as likely to benet from BP-lowering clinical considerations.
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 Pharmacologic Treatment of Hypertension in Adults CLINICAL GUIDELINE

Figure. Summary of the American College of Physicians and American Academy of Family Physicians joint guideline on
pharmacologic treatment of hypertension in adults aged 60 years or older to higher versus lower blood pressure targets.

Summary of the American College of Physicians and American Academy of Family Physicians Joint Guideline on
Pharmacologic Treatment of Hypertension in Adults Aged 60 Years or Older to Higher Versus Lower Blood Pressure Targets

Disease/Condition Hypertension

Target Audience All clinicians

Target Patient Population Adults aged 60 y with hypertension
Treatments Evaluated Treatment to higher (<150 mm Hg) vs. lower (140 mm Hg) SBP targets
Outcomes Evaluated All-cause mortality, morbidity and mortality related to stroke, cardiac events, and harms
Benefits Mortality, incidence of stroke, and cardiac events were all reduced with treatment.

Treating to a lower BP target did not further reduce mortality, quality of life, or functional status, but it did reduce the incidence of
stroke and cardiac events.
Harms Increased withdrawals due to adverse events with higher vs. lower BP targets

Increased cough, hypotension, and risk for syncope with treating to lower vs. higher BP targets

No difference between higher and lower BP targets for renal outcomes, cognitive outcomes, or falls and fractures

Adverse Effects Some of the adverse effects associated with antihypertensive medications include (but are not limited to) the
following:

Thiazide-type diuretics: electrolyte disturbances, gastrointestinal discomfort, rashes and other allergic reactions,
sexual dysfunction in men, photosensitivity reactions, and orthostatic hypotension

ACEIs: cough and hyperkalemia

ARBs: dizziness, cough, and hyperkalemia

Calcium-channel blockers: dizziness, headache, edema, and constipation

-blockers: fatigue and sexual dysfunction

Recommendations Recommendation 1: ACP and AAFP recommend that clinicians initiate treatment in adults aged 60 years or older with systolic
blood pressure persistently at or above 150 mm Hg to achieve a target systolic blood pressure of less than 150 mm Hg to reduce
the risk for mortality, stroke, and cardiac events. (Grade: strong recommendation, high-quality evidence). ACP and AAFP
recommend that clinicians select the treatment goals for adults aged 60 years or older based on a periodic discussion of the
benefits and harms of specific blood pressure targets with the patient.

Recommendation 2: ACP and AAFP recommend that clinicians consider initiating or intensifying pharmacologic treatment in
adults aged 60 years or older with a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack to achieve a target systolic blood pressure of
less than 140 mm Hg to reduce the risk for recurrent stroke. (Grade: weak recommendation, moderate-quality evidence). ACP
and AAFP recommend that clinicians select the treatment goals for adults aged 60 years or older based on a periodic discussion
of the benefits and harms of specific blood pressure targets with the patient.

Recommendation 3: ACP and AAFP recommend that clinicians consider initiating or intensifying pharmacologic treatment in
some adults aged 60 years or older at high cardiovascular risk, based on individualized assessment, to achieve a target systolic
blood pressure of less than 140 mm Hg to reduce the risk for stroke or cardiac events. (Grade: weak recommendation,
low-quality evidence). ACP and AAFP recommend that clinicians select the treatment goals for adults aged 60 years or older
based on a periodic discussion of the benefits and harms of specific blood pressure targets with the patient.

Clinical Considerations Accurate measurement of BP is important before initiating treatment for hypertension. Some patients may have elevated BP in clinical settings,
and ambulatory measurement may be appropriate.

Clinicians should consider treatment with nonpharmacologic options, including weight loss, dietary changes, and an increase in physical
activity, initially or concurrently with pharmacologic treatment.

Many older adults may be taking various medications. Clinicians should consider treatment burden and drug interactions when deciding on
treatment options.

When selecting pharmacologic therapy, clinicians should prescribe generic drugs where available.

Evidence for adults who are frail or those with multimorbidity is limited.

ACEI = angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB = angiotensin-receptor blocker; BP = blood pressure; SBP = systolic blood pressure.

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 CLINICAL GUIDELINE Pharmacologic Treatment of Hypertension in Adults

Recommendation 1: ACP and AAFP recommend recommendation, moderate-quality evidence). ACP and
that clinicians initiate treatment in adults aged 60 years AAFP recommend that clinicians select the treatment
or older with systolic blood pressure persistently at or goals for adults aged 60 years or older based on a pe-
above 150 mm Hg to achieve a target systolic blood riodic discussion of the benets and harms of specic
pressure of less than 150 mm Hg to reduce the risk for blood pressure targets with the patient.
mortality, stroke, and cardiac events. (Grade: strong rec- Moderate-quality evidence showed that treating
ommendation, high-quality evidence). ACP and AAFP hypertension in older adults with previous TIA or stroke
recommend that clinicians select the treatment goals for to an SBP target of 130 to 140 mm Hg reduces stroke
adults aged 60 years or older based on a periodic dis- recurrence (ARR, 3.02) compared with treatment to
cussion of the benets and harms of specic blood higher targets, with no statistically signicant effect on
pressure targets with the patient. cardiac events or all-cause mortality.
High-quality evidence showed that treating hyper- Recommendation 3: ACP and AAFP recommend
tension in older adults to moderate targets (<150/90 that clinicians consider initiating or intensifying pharma-
mm Hg) reduces mortality (ARR, 1.64), stroke (ARR, cologic treatment in some adults aged 60 years or older
1.13), and cardiac events (ARR, 1.25). Most benets ap- at high cardiovascular risk, based on individualized as-
ply to such adults regardless of whether they have dia- sessment, to achieve a target systolic blood pressure of
betes. The most consistent and greatest absolute ben- less than 140 mm Hg to reduce the risk for stroke or
et was shown in trials with a higher mean SBP at cardiac events. (Grade: weak recommendation, low-
baseline (>160 mm Hg). Any additional benet from quality evidence). ACP and AAFP recommend that clini-
aggressive BP control is small, with a lower magnitude cians select the treatment goals for adults aged 60 years
of benet and inconsistent results across outcomes. or older based on a periodic discussion of the benets
Although this guideline did not specically address and harms of specic blood pressure targets with the
pharmacologic versus nonpharmacologic treatments patient.
for hypertension, several nonpharmacologic treatment An SBP target of less than 140 mm Hg is a reason-
strategies are available for consideration. Effective non- able goal for some patients with increased cardiovas-
pharmacologic options for reducing BP include such cular risk. The target depends on many factors unique
lifestyle modications as weight loss, such dietary to each patient, including comorbidity, medication bur-
changes as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hy-
den, risk for adverse events, and cost. Clinicians should
pertension) diet, and an increase in physical activity.
individually assess cardiovascular risk for patients. Gen-
Nonpharmacologic options are typically associated
erally, increased cardiovascular risk includes persons
with fewer side effects than pharmacologic therapies
with known vascular disease, most patients with diabe-
and have other positive effects; ideally, they are in-
tes, older persons with chronic kidney disease with
cluded as the rst therapy or used concurrently with
estimated glomerular ltration rate less than 45 mL/
drug therapy for most patients with hypertension. Ef-
min/per 1.73 m2, those with metabolic syndrome (ab-
fective pharmacologic options include antihypertensive
dominal obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipide-
medications, such as thiazide-type diuretics (adverse
effects include electrolyte disturbances, gastrointestinal mia), and older persons. For example, among the in-
discomfort, rashes and other allergic reactions, sexual cluded studies, SPRINT (23) dened patients with
dysfunction in men, photosensitivity reactions, and increased cardiovascular risk as those meeting at least
orthostatic hypotension), ACEIs (adverse effects include 1 of the following criteria: clinical or subclinical cardio-
cough and hyperkalemia), ARBs (adverse effects in- vascular disease other than stroke; chronic kidney dis-
clude dizziness, cough, and hyperkalemia), calcium- ease, excluding polycystic kidney disease, with an esti-
channel blockers (adverse effects include dizziness, mated glomerular ltration rate of 20 to less than 60
headache, edema, and constipation), and -blockers mL/min/1.73 m2 of body surface area; 10-year risk for
(adverse effects include fatigue and sexual cardiovascular disease of 15% or greater based on the
dysfunction). Framingham risk score; or age 75 years or older. This
Most of the included studies measured seated BP trial found that targeting SBP to less than 120 mm Hg
after 5 minutes of rest and used multiple readings. Cli- compared with less than 140 mm Hg in adults without
nicians should ensure that they are accurately measur- diabetes or prior stroke, at high-risk for cardiovascular
ing BP before beginning or changing treatment of disease, and with a baseline SBP of less than 140 mm
hypertension. Assessment may include multiple mea- Hg signicantly reduced fatal and nonfatal cardiovascu-
surements in clinical settings (for example, 2 to 3 read- lar events and all-cause mortality. In contrast, ACCORD
ings separated by 1 minute in a seated patient who is (40) included only adults with type 2 diabetes and
resting alone in a room) or ambulatory or home found no statistically signicant reduction in the pri-
monitoring (45). mary composite outcome of nonfatal myocardial infarc-
Recommendation 2: ACP and AAFP recommend tion, nonfatal stroke, or death from cardiovascular
that clinicians consider initiating or intensifying pharma- events (RR, 0.94 [CI, 0.80 to 1.11]). This study did nd a
cologic treatment in adults aged 60 years or older with reduction in stroke events (RR, 0.58 [CI, 0.39 to 0.88]),
a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack to achieve but there were more serious adverse events associated
a target systolic blood pressure of less than 140 mm Hg with an SBP target of less than 120 mm Hg versus less
to reduce the risk for recurrent stroke. (Grade: weak than 140 mm Hg.
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 Pharmacologic Treatment of Hypertension in Adults CLINICAL GUIDELINE

AREAS OF INCONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE therefore better adherence (46). Clinicians should con-
Treatment of Patients With Multiple Chronic sider the patient's treatment burden when deciding on
Conditions treatment options. Studies have correlated multiple
No trials assessed the relationship between multi- doses of hypertensive medications with poorer medica-
ple comorbid conditions and the benets and harms of tion adherence (47, 48). The balance of benets and
treating BP to different targets. Patients with a high co- harms identied in our evidence report is based in part
morbidity burden were probably not included in the on rigorous and accurate assessment of BP. Some pa-
overall group of studies. Many studies excluded pa- tients may have falsely elevated readings in clinical set-
tients with various comorbid conditions, such as diabe- tings (known as white-coat hypertension). Therefore,
tes, insulin use, recent coronary events, heart failure, or it is important to ensure accurate BP measurement be-
chronic kidney disease, and most studies had criteria fore initiating or changing treatment of hypertension.
that would implicitly or explicitly exclude those with de- The most accurate measurements come from multiple
mentia or diminished functional status. BP measurements made over time.

Treating According to DBP From the American College of Physicians and University of
Evidence was insufcient for targeting treatment Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Min-
according to DBP. neapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, Min-
nesota; Community Care of the Lower Cape Fear, Wilming-
ton, North Carolina; Oregon Health & Science University,
MULTIPLE CHRONIC CONDITIONS: CLINICAL Portland, Oregon; and American Academy of Family Physi-
CONSIDERATIONS FOR ADULTS AGED 60 YEARS cians, Leawood, Kansas.
OR OLDER
Individual assessment of benets and harms is par- Note: Clinical practice guidelines are guides only and may
ticularly important in adults aged 60 years or older with not apply to all patients and all clinical situations. Thus, they
multiple chronic conditions, several medications, or are not intended to override clinicians' judgment. All ACP
frailty. These patients might theoretically benet from clinical practice guidelines are considered automatically with-
more aggressive BP treatment because of higher car- drawn or invalid 5 years after publication or once an update
has been issued.
diovascular risks. However, they are more likely to be
susceptible to serious harm from higher rates of syn-
cope and hypotension, which were seen in some trials. Disclaimer: The authors of this article are responsible for
Moreover, the absolute benets of more aggressive BP its contents, including any clinical or treatment
treatment in elderly persons, those with multimorbidity, recommendations.
or those who are frail are not well-known, given limita-
tions of the trials. These patients often receive multiple Financial Support: Financial support for the development of
medications and are on drug regimens that are difcult this guideline comes exclusively from the ACP operating
to manage and increase the cost and risk for drug in- budget.
teractions. Indeed, most trials had exclusion criteria
that implicitly or explicitly excluded patients who had
Disclosures: Authors followed the policy regarding conicts of
dementia or diminished functional status. Few trials interest described at www.annals.org/article.aspx?articleid
were available to compare patients with and without =745942. Disclosures can also be viewed at www.acponline
diabetes, which made drawing conclusions about rela- .org/authors/icmje/ConictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M16
tive treatment effects in these populations difcult. -1785. All nancial and intellectual disclosures of interest were
Whether the difference in results between SPRINT and declared and potential conicts were discussed and man-
ACCORD was because of diabetes status is unclear, but aged. Drs. Boyd, Kansagara, and Vijan participated in the dis-
it is reasonable to rationalize that the benets observed cussion for this guideline, but they were recused from voting
with the lower targets achieved in SPRINT most closely on the recommendations because of active indirect intellec-
apply to patient populations without diabetes. tual conicts. Dr. Manaker participated in the discussion for
this guideline but was recused from voting on the recommen-
dations because of an active indirect nancial conict. A re-
HIGH-VALUE CARE cord of disclosures of interest and management of conicts of
Most patients aged 60 years or older with an SBP of is kept for each Clinical Guidelines Committee meeting and
150 mm Hg or greater who receive antihypertensive conference call and can be viewed at www.acponline.org
medications will have benet with acceptable harms /clinical_information/guidelines/guidelines/conicts_cgc.htm.
and costs from treatment to a BP target of less than
150/90 mm Hg. Although some benet is achieved by Requests for Single Reprints: Amir Qaseem, MD, PhD, MHA,
aiming for lower BP targets, most benet occurs with American College of Physicians, 190 N. Independence Mall
acceptable harms and costs in the pharmacologic treat- West, Philadelphia, PA 19106-1572; e-mail, aqaseem@
ment of patients who have an SBP of 150 mm Hg or acponline.org.
greater. When prescribing drug therapy, clinicians
should select generic formulations over brand-name Current author addresses and author contributions are avail-
drugs, which have similar efcacy, reduced cost, and able at Annals.org.
Annals.org Annals of Internal Medicine Vol. 166 No. 6 21 March 2017 435

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 CLINICAL GUIDELINE Pharmacologic Treatment of Hypertension in Adults

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 Current Author Addresses: Dr. Qaseem: American College of Meta-analysis and Individual-Patient Data
Physicians, 190 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA Meta-analysis
19106-1572. The reviewers conducted a meta-analysis on study-
Dr. Wilt: Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, One level data using the random-effects model. They also
Veterans Drive (111-0), Minneapolis, MN, 55417.
conducted individual-patient data meta-analysis to as-
Dr. Rich: Bladen Medical Associates, 300 A East McKay Street,
PO Box 517, Elizabethtown, NC 28337. sess treatment according to age subgroups.
Dr. Humphrey: Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System,
Quality Assessment
3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR 97201.
The quality of studies was assessed using the Co-
Dr. Frost: American Academy of Family Physicians, 11400
Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Leawood, KS 66211. chrane risk-of-bias tool (49). The evidence reviewers
Dr. Forciea: University of Pennsylvania Health System, 3615 graded the quality of evidence using the Agency for
Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Healthcare Research and Quality system (50).

Population
Author Contributions: Conception and design: A. Qaseem, Adults aged 60 years or older with a diagnosis of
L.L. Humphrey.
hypertension were studied.
Analysis and interpretation of the data: A. Qaseem, T.J. Wilt,
L.L. Humphrey, J. Frost, M.A. Forciea. Interventions Evaluated
Drafting of the article: A. Qaseem, T.J. Wilt, R. Rich, L.L. Hum- The interventions evaluated included treatment to
phrey, J. Frost.
higher (<150 mm Hg) versus lower (140 mm Hg) SBP
Critical revision of the article for important intellectual con-
tent: A. Qaseem, T.J. Wilt, R. Rich, L.L. Humphrey, J. Frost, targets.
M.A. Forciea.
Comparators
Final approval of the article: A. Qaseem, T.J. Wilt, R. Rich, L.L.
The comparator was less intensive BP treatment.
Humphrey, J. Frost, M.A. Forciea.
Statistical expertise: A. Qaseem, T.J. Wilt. Outcomes
Administrative, technical, or logistic support: A. Qaseem. Evaluated outcomes included all-cause mortality;
cardiac events (myocardial infarction and sudden car-
diac death); morbidity and mortality related to stroke;
and harms, including cognitive impairment, quality of
APPENDIX: DETAILED METHODS life, falls, fractures, syncope, functional status, hypoten-
The evidence review was conducted by the Port- sion, acute kidney injury (dened as the doubling of
land VA Health Care System Evidence-based Synthesis serum creatinine or need for renal replacement ther-
Program to address the following key questions (KQs): apy), medication burden, and withdrawal due to ad-
KQ 1: In adults aged 60 years or older, what are the verse events.
health outcome effects of differing BP targets?
KQ 1b: In patients who have suffered a TIA or Timing
stroke, does treatment of BP to specic targets affect Outcomes were assessed in the long-term (>6
health outcomes? months) for KQs 1, 2, and 3 and any time frame for KQs
KQ 2: How does age modify the benets of differ- 4 and 5.
ing BP targets?
Study Design
KQ 3: How does the patient burden of comorbid Controlled study designs (randomized, controlled
conditions modify the benets of differing BP targets? trials and nonrandomized, controlled trials) (KQs 1, 2, 3,
KQ 4: What are the harms of targeting lower BP in 4 and 5) and cohort studies (KQs 4 and 5) were in-
older patients? Do the harms vary with age? cluded. Case reports; case series; randomized, con-
KQ 5: Do the harms of targeting lower BP vary with trolled trials with less than 6-month follow-up; and con-
patient burden of comorbid conditions? trolled beforeafter studies were excluded.
Search Strategy Peer Review
The reviewers searched EMBASE and the The VA evidence review was sent to invited peer
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from data- reviewers and posted on the VA Web site for public
base inception through January 2015, MEDLINE comments, and the published review article was peer
through September 2016, and ClinicalTrials.gov to reviewed through the journal. The guideline had a
identify studies that were in progress or unpublished. peer-review process through the journal and was
Observational studies were excluded from analysis of posted online for comments from ACP Regents and
such health outcomes as mortality, stroke, and cardio- Governors, who represent physician members at the
vascular events. For additional information, including national level. It was also reviewed by members of
inclusion and exclusion criteria, refer to the accompa- AAFP's Commission on Health of the Public and
nying article (8) and full report (9). Science.
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