Blood Pressure Targets in CKD

With the release of the 2014 Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension in Adults, a significant amount of discussion has ensued around both the 9 major recommendations promulgated by the Panel and the nature of the evidence base used to formulate those recommendations. In this article, the author will review the data used to support the 2 recommendations made by the Panel that specifically addressed treatment goals (Recommendation 4) and desirable agents to use (Recommendation 8) in hypertensive patients with CKD. Most published recommendations are actually similar, and there is a general consensus that the blood pressure goal should be at least less than 140/90 mm Hg in CKD; some recommend a target of less than 130/80 mm Hg in patients with CKD who have significant proteinuria. This article represents the view of the author and should not be construed as Panel endorsement.