New Hypertension Guideline Targets Better Care in Primary Practice

One major update is the adoption of lower BP thresholds for diagnosis and treatment.

The guideline was developed by a multidisciplinary team, including family physicians, pharmacists, a nurse practitioner, hypertension specialists, a methodologist, and four patient partners with lived experience. A second, more comprehensive guideline will follow, addressing complex hypertension cases such as resistant hypertension.

“As primary care is where most hypertension is managed, supporting primary care practitioners to better diagnose and manage this disease will improve hypertension care at the population level and benefit people in Canada,” says Dr. Ross Tsuyuki, past president, Hypertension Canada. “We hope these practical recommendations will help with implementing hypertension care in everyday clinical practice.”

Reference: Hypertension Canada guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in adults in primary care

Rémi Goupil, Ross T. Tsuyuki, Nancy Santesso, Kristin A. Terenzi, Jeffrey Habert, Gemma Cheng, Stephanie C. Gysel, Jill Bruneau, Alexander A. Leung, Norman R.C. Campbell, Ernesto L. Schiffrin, Gregory L. HundemerCMAJ May 2025, 197 (20) E549-E564; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.241770