FOCUS on elevated blood pressure and hypertension

Hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. In a departure from the previous guidelines, the 2024 ESC Guidelines on the management of elevated blood pressure and hypertension emphasise that the risk for cardiovascular disease attributable to blood pressure (BP) is on a continuous exposure scale, not a binary scale of normotension vs. hypertension. The guidelines also highlight the benefits of BP-lowering medications for high-risk patients with BP levels which are elevated but do not meet traditional thresholds used to define hypertension. The guidelines are written with core cardiologists and general practitioners in mind and offer a comprehensive approach to address and treat elevated blood pressure.