Key questions on hypertension diagnosis and management

Module summary

GP academic and specialist in cardiovascular medicine Professor Chris Clark provides an update on current best practice in the management of hypertension, including discussion of blood pressure measurement techniques, current diagnostic and treatment target thresholds, when referral is required and approaches to treatment escalation.

Learning objectives

This module will support your understanding of the best evidence-based approaches to diagnosis and management of hypertension, including:

• Appropriate methods of blood pressure measurement including how to act on between-arm differences.
• Diagnostic thresholds for different stages of hypertension and on-treatment target blood pressure levels.
• When to refer people urgently and what investigations will be required.
• What investigations to do in people under 40 diagnosed with hypertension, and when they should be referred.
• How to monitor, promote and support treatment adherence in those failing to reach BP target levels.
• Current treatment algorithms and how to escalate treatment appropriately.
• Considerations when treating older or frail patients, including testing for postural hypotension.

The information provided, unless otherwise stated, is based on the current NICE guidelines on diagnosis and management of hypertension in adults (NG136), published in 2019 and most recently updated in November 2023.¹

Author: Professor Chris Clark is Associate Professor of Primary Care Cardiovascular Medicine at the Exeter Collaboration for Academic Primary Care (APEx), University of Exeter Medical School. He is a Fellow of the British and Irish Hypertension Society (BIHS) and chairs the BIHS Standing Committee on Blood Pressure Measurement. He was a NICE hypertension guideline committee member until 2023.

Date published: 24.10.2024