If slightly high blood pressure doesn’t respond to lifestyle change, medication can help

Health care professionals should consider prescribing medication for patients with slightly elevated blood pressure if levels do not decrease after six months of healthy lifestyle changes, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association. The statement, published today in the Association’s journal Hypertension, fills a gap in guideline recommendations by addressing how to manage untreated, stage 1 high blood pressure—levels of 130-139/80-89 mm Hg—that was not fully addressed in the 2017 treatment guidelines.