UNC School of Nursing and School of Medicine Faculty Contribute to New Blood Pressure Guidelines

Research Helps Medical Providers Determine Best Approach to High Blood Pressure

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – University of North Carolina researchers affiliated with the School of Nursing and School of Medicine contributed to new blood strain tips launched by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.

Leslie Davis, PhD, RN, an Associate Professor of the UNC School of Nursing, and Sidney C. Smith, Jr., MD, Professor of Medicine on the UNC School of Medicine, are among the many dozens of researchers listed within the new joint guideline.

Published in Circulation and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), the 2025 American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC) Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults updates nationwide requirements for diagnosing and treating hypertension. It replaces the 2017 AHA/ACC guideline and contains new proof, instruments and techniques geared toward bettering blood strain management via correct measurement, constant therapy, wholesome life-style behaviors and patient-centered care.

High blood strain stays the most typical and preventable danger issue for coronary heart assault and stroke. Recent analysis now hyperlinks hypertension to different critical well being issues, together with cognitive decline, dementia and being pregnant issues like pre-eclampsia.

The 2025 AHA/ACA guideline continues to suggest a therapy objective of lower than 130/80 mm Hg for adults however provides particular suggestions for folks in institutional care, these with restricted life expectancy and pregnant sufferers.

The most vital updates to the brand new 2025 guideline embrace:

• AHA PREVENT™ Risk Calculator: a brand new software for estimating a person’s danger of growing heart problems.
• Life’s Essential 8: the AHA’s up to date guidelines for sustaining cardiovascular well being, now central to blood strain administration.
• Expanded monitoring suggestions: common blood strain checks for all ages, together with steering on residence monitoring.
• Lifestyle and vitamin steering: strengthened suggestions on food regimen, train and different life-style elements.
• Updated medicine steering: for some sufferers, medicine is critical for earlier therapy of hypertension.
• Emergency signs: clearer details about the indicators of dangerously hypertension.

 

UNC Faculty Contributions to New Guideline

A nationally acknowledged knowledgeable in cardiovascular nursing, Leslie Davis is a fellow within the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Heart Association, and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association. She can be a licensed hypertension clinician via the American Society of Hypertension. Her contributions to the rule of thumb replicate her medical and analysis experience in symptom administration, affected person schooling and long-term care for people with hypertension.

“In our clinic, we empower patients to take an active role in managing their blood pressure through home monitoring and shared decision-making,” Davis stated. “That same approach – bringing together multiple voices and perspectives — guides the development of national clinical guidelines.”

As a member of the writing group, Davis emphasised the worth of together with nurse scientists. “I am honored to be part of this distinguished group of experts working to translate the latest evidence into practical recommendations,” she stated. “The real impact of this work will come when clinicians and health systems implement these guidelines to improve outcomes for the patients we serve.”

Sidney Smith is a previous president of each the American Heart Association and the World Heart Federation.  He has intensive expertise in growing cardiovascular tips. His management in previous AHA/ACC suggestions on ldl cholesterol, hypertension, main prevention, acute myocardial infarction and professionalism in medication helped form the inspiration for this newest work.

“These new guidelines recommend the latest evidence-based treatment strategies, emphasizing the importance of shared decision-making with the patient, the value of health care team involvement including physicians, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists — and home monitoring of blood pressure,” stated Smith. “These three strategies will improve control of hypertension which is still the leading cardiovascular risk factor worldwide.”

For extra data, entry the complete guideline and supporting sources via the American Heart Association newsroom and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.