Changes in blood pressure classification, blood pressure goals and pharmacological treatment of essential hypertension in medical guidelines from 2003 to 2013

This article aims to discuss differences in pharmacological treatment through a period of 10 years from 2003 to 2013. Hypertension treatment faces many challenges because of patients' unawareness and adherence, clinical inertia, as well as rapid availability of new medical literature and trials. Since 2003, JNC 7 was published at nearly the same time with ESC/ESH Guidelines and WHO/ISH Statement on management of hypertension [1–3]. However, these guidelines are not homogenous in pharmacological therapy approach. Moreover, during the 10 years since 2003, many new large trials, data, and updated guidelines have resolved some main controversial problems in blood pressure (BP) goals in separate risk-categorized patients, levels of BP for initial antihypertensive therapy, choice of drugs in monotherapy, indication for drug combinations, and preferred combinations for special cases. The latest updated guidelines on hypertension treatment, 2013 ESC/ESH Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension, not only contain significant changes in the abovementioned problems, but also raise some new questions for the future research [4].