II. HOW HIGH IS HIGH?
B. New Convention, 2003
The Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of Hypertension, Seventh Report (JNC 7), gives a classification and management of blood pressure for adults (see Table 1). Individuals with an average blood pressure of more than 135/85 measured at home are generally considered to be hypertensive.
The heart rate multiplied by the systolic blood pressure is called the heart rate pressure product, and this product determines the oxygen requirement of the heart muscle. Elevation of the systolic blood pressure is just as bad as elevation of the diastolic in the range of 95–110 mmHg. Elevation of either systolic or diastolic is important, but the combined elevation is more common and further increases the risks. Drugs that decrease both the blood pressure and the heart rate are more effective in decreasing the oxygen requirement of the heart muscle. Beta-blocking drugs play a very important role in the drug treatment of hypertension because of the aforementioned effects.