Debate on the 2025 Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults: New Blood Pressure Targets, Lower Is Better-And Possible.

The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guideline has now released the long-awaited 2025 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults. Since the previous version, which had been in place for 8 years, meta-analyses and several treat-to-target trials investigating lower versus standard blood pressure targets have been published. Based on these, the 2025 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline recommends in adults with confirmed hypertension, an office blood pressure goal of <130/80 mm Hg, with encouragement to further reduce systolic blood pressure to <120 mm Hg.

Here, we set out why we support these lower blood pressure targets and outline strategies to achieve them.