Table 3.

Blood pressure thresholds for initiating treatment^a [3–11]

Patient group	Recommendation	ASH/ISH	AHA/ACC/CDC	ESH/ESC	NICE	France	Taiwan	CHEP	China
High normal BP, high risk	Health behaviour modifications and pharmacological treatment						✓
Stage 1, low risk	Health behaviour modifications and monitoring before initiating pharmacological treatment	✓	✓	✓	✓
	Health behaviour modifications and pharmacological treatment					✓	✓		✓
Stage 1, high risk	Health behaviour modifications and pharmacological treatment	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Stage 2, low risk	Health behaviour modifications and monitoring before initiating pharmacological treatment			✓
	Health behaviour modifications and pharmacological treatment	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Stage 2, high risk	Health behaviour modifications and pharmacological treatment	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Elderly, >80 years	Health behaviour modifications and pharmacological treatment	Not specified	Not specified	✓ (SBP ≥160 mmHg only)	Not specified	✓	Not specified	✓ (SBP ≥160 mmHg only)	Not specified

AHA/ACC/CDC American Hypertension Association/American College of Cardiology/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ASH/ISH American Society of Hypertension/International Society of Hypertension, CHEP Canadian hypertension education program, ESH/ESC European Society of Hypertension/European Society of Cardiology, JNC 8 Eighth Joint National Committee, NICE National Institute for Clinical Excellence (UK), SBP systolic blood pressure

^aNote that this subject is not discussed in JNC 8 guidelines