The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which provides guidelines for use in England, released new draft guidelines for the management of hypertension in early 2019, and discuss the evidence of effectiveness for out-of-office BP measurement, and pharmacist management of BP. 6, 7 Further studies have included self-management whereby patients titrate their own medication according to a pre-arranged plan. 4, 5 Other studies have investigated nurse or pharmacist-led medication titration. Studies have investigated using patients’ home BP readings to guide treatment, either by bringing them along to consultation or using technology to relay the information (telemonitoring). 3 In recent years there has been an increased focus on new models of care for the management of hypertension, often involving the patient more in the process. 2Ĭhronic disease management is shifting towards models of care that focus on patient centricity, supporting self-management behaviours and improving care pathways with better integration of healthcare professional teams. 1 However, managing hypertension remains a significant burden on general practice and accounts for an estimated 12% of all visit to GPs in England. 1 There have been improvements in recent years, with the population average systolic BP falling by 3 mmHg over the past decade, and the proportion of adults with controlled hypertension increasing from 5% to 10% between 2003–2016.

It is likely that one in four adults in the UK have high blood pressure (BP), with deprived areas having the highest prevalence.

Nhs blood pressure chart pdf