The New Definition of Hypertension in 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline May Boost Updating Strategies for Hypertension Prevention and Treatment

Hypertension is the top modifiable cause for the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular disease in China. Because the etiology of hypertension is not clear in most of the patients, the current antihyperten-sive strategy focuses on its treatment rather than the prevention. The main goals are to increase the awareness rate, treatment rate, and control rate for patients with hypertension. Because of the lack of effective strategies to prevent the occurrence of hypertension, the prevalence rate of hypertension has been increasing in all age groups of adults in China, especially in young and middle-aged Chinese. Many studies show that people who have so-called prehypertension with systolic blood pressure of 130 to 139 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure of 80 to 89 mm Hg have the highest risk of future hypertension. It is the first time in the world that the 2017 ACC/AHA hypertension guideline redefined hypertension by including prehypertension as stage 1 hypertension and recommended early lifestyle modification as the priority strategy for these patients. This article discussed the motivation and rationale of the new definition of hypertension issued by 2017 ACC/AHA, and analyzed the potential significance and positive impact on the development of the prevention and treatment of hypertension in China.