Hypertension: Prevalence, risks, and effect of therapy

The current definitions of hypertension have led to falsely high estimates of its prevalence, inexact assessments of risk, and overly aggressive use of antihypertensive drug therapy. An analysis of available data shows that at least one third of persons found to be hypertensive on initial screening will not have elevated blood pressure subsequently; that persons with mild hypertension (diastolic blood pressure 90 to 104 mm Hg) are not at high risk for cardiovascular disease; and that many patients with mild hypertension should be treated with non-drug therapies unless their diastolic blood pressure remains above 100 mm Hg.