Purpose of review: To estimate the impact of the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines for high blood pressure (BP) on the next hypertension guidelines in Asia.
Recent findings: The 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines for high BP in adults changed the diagnostic threshold and the management goal of BP from 140/90 to 130/80 mmHg. Another characteristic of the new guideline is its focus on a practical approach for the effective management of hypertension by using home and ambulatory BP monitoring; this point is also recommended in the 2014 Japanese Society of Hypertension Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension. In Japan, the guidelines for hypertension management are currently under revision and will be released in the spring of 2019. The core concept of the 2019 Japanese Society of Hypertension Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension, i.e., early and tight BP control over 24 h, will contribute to target-organ protection and cardiovascular disease prevention for Asians.
Keywords: Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring; Blood pressure; Ethnic differences; Guideline; Hypertension Paradox.