Hypertension Treatment Steps For Hypertension

Treatment steps for
hypertension
A NICE pathway brings together all NICE guidance, quality
standards and materials to support implementation on a specific
topic area. The pathways are interactive and designed to be used
online. This pdf version gives you a single pathway diagram and
uses numbering to link the boxes in the diagram to the associated
recommendations.
To view the online version of this pathway visit:
http://pathways.nice.org.uk/pathways/hypertension
Pathway last updated: December 2015. To see details of any updates to this pathway since its
launch, visit: About this Pathway. For information on the NICE guidance used to create this path, see:
Sources.
Copyright NICE 2015. All rights reserved
NICEPathways
Pathways
Treatment steps for hypertension
Hypertension pathway
Copyright NICE 2015.
NICE Pathways
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NICE Pathways
Person aged under 55 with hypertension
No additional information
Step 1 ACE inhibitor or ARB
Offer people aged under 55 years step 1 antihypertensive treatment with an ACE inhibitor or a
low-cost ARB. If an ACE inhibitor is prescribed and is not tolerated (for example, because of
cough), offer a low-cost ARB.
Beta-blockers are not a preferred initial therapy for hypertension. However, beta-blockers may
be considered in younger people, particularly:
those with an intolerance or contraindication to ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor
antagonists or
women of child-bearing potential or
people with evidence of increased sympathetic drive.
Resources
The following implementation tools are relevant to this part of the pathway.
Hypertension (drug treatment): audit support
Hypertension: (drug treatment): electronic audit tool
Hypertension: clinical case scenarios
Person aged over 55 or black person of African or Caribbean family

origin of any age with hypertension
No additional information
Step 1 CCB
Offer step 1 antihypertensive treatment with a CCB to people aged over 55 years and to black
people of African or Caribbean family origin of any age. If a CCB is not suitable, for example
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NICE Pathways
because of oedema or intolerance, or if there is evidence of heart failure or a high risk of heart
failure, offer a thiazide-like diuretic.
If diuretic treatment is to be initiated or changed, offer a thiazide like diuretic, such as
chlortalidone (12.525.0 mg once daily) or indapamide (1.5 mg modified-release once daily or
2.5 mg once daily) in preference to a conventional thiazide diuretic such as bendroflumethiazide
or hydrochlorothiazide.
For people who are already having treatment with bendroflumethiazide or hydrochlorothiazide
and whose blood pressure is stable and well controlled, continue treatment with the
bendroflumethiazide or hydrochlorothiazide.
NICE has produced a pathway on chronic heart failure.
Resources
Step 2
If blood pressure is not controlled by step 1 treatment, offer step 2 treatment with a CCB in
combination with either an ACE inhibitor or an ARB 1.
If a CCB is not suitable for step 2 treatment, for example because of oedema or intolerance, or
if there is evidence of heart failure or a high risk of heart failure, offer a thiazide-like diuretic,
such as chlortalidone (12.525.0 mg once daily) or indapamide (1.5 mg modified-release once
daily or 2.5 mg once daily).
For black people of African or Caribbean family origin, consider an ARB in preference to an
ACE inhibitor, in combination with a CCB.
If therapy is initiated with a beta-blocker and a second drug is required, add a CCB rather than a
thiazide-like diuretic to reduce the person's risk of developing diabetes.
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Choose a low-cost ARB.
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NICE Pathways
Before considering step 3 treatment, review medication to ensure step 2 treatment is at optimal
or best tolerated doses.
NICE has produced a pathway on chronic heart failure.
Resources
Step 3
If treatment with three drugs is required, the combination of ACE inhibitor or ARB, CCB and
thiazide-like diuretic such as chlortalidone (12.525.0 mg once daily) or indapamide (1.5 mg
modified-release once daily or 2.5 mg once daily) should be used.
Regard clinic blood pressure that remains higher than 140/90 mmHg after treatment with the
optimal or best tolerated doses of an ACE inhibitor or an ARB plus a CCB plus a diuretic as
resistant hypertension, and consider adding a fourth antihypertensive drug and/or seeking
expert advice.
1
Quality standards
The following quality statement is relevant to this part of the pathway.
6.
Referral to a specialist for people with resistant hypertension
Resources
Choose a low-cost ARB.
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NICE Pathways

Step 4 Resistant hypertension
For treatment of resistant hypertension at step 4:

Consider further diuretic therapy with low-dose spironolactone (25 mg once daily)1 if the
blood potassium level is 4.5 mmol/l or lower. Use particular caution in people with a
reduced eGFR because they have an increased risk of hyperkalaemia.
Consider higher-dose thiazide-like diuretic treatment if the blood potassium level is higher
than 4.5 mmol/l.
When using further diuretic therapy for resistant hypertension at step 4, monitor blood sodium
and potassium and renal function within 1 month and repeat as required thereafter.
If further diuretic therapy for resistant hypertension at step 4 is not tolerated, or is
contraindicated or ineffective, consider an alpha- or beta-blocker.
If blood pressure remains uncontrolled with the optimal or maximum tolerated doses of four
drugs, seek expert advice if it has not yet been obtained.
Interventional procedures
NICE has published interventional procedures guidance on percutaneous transluminal
radiofrequency sympathetic denervation of the renal artery for resistant hypertension with
special arrangements for clinical governance, consent, and audit or research.
NICE has published interventional procedures guidance that implanting a baroreceptor
stimulation device for resistant hypertension should be used only in the context of research.
Quality standards
The following quality statement is relevant to this part of the pathway.
6.
Referral to a specialist for people with resistant hypertension
At the time of publication (August 2011), spironolactone did not have UK marketing authorisation for this
indication. Informed consent should be obtained and documented.
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NICE Pathways
Resources
Monitoring drug treatment
Use clinic blood pressure measurements to monitor the response to antihypertensive treatment
with lifestyle modifications or drugs.
For people identified as having a white-coat effect, consider ABPM or HBPM as an adjunct to
clinic blood pressure measurements to monitor the response to antihypertensive treatment with
lifestyle modification or drugs.
Resources
Review annually
See Hypertension / Hypertension overview / Review annually
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NICE Pathways
Glossary
ACE inhibitor
angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor
ARB
angiotensin II receptor blocker
CCB
calcium-channel blocker
ABPM
ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
eGFR
estimated glomerular filtration rate
HBPM
home blood pressure monitoring
Severe hypertension
clinic systolic blood pressure is 180 mmHg or higher or clinic diastolic blood pressure is 110
mmHg or higher
Stage 1 hypertension
clinic blood pressure 140/90 mmHg or higher and subsequent ambulatory blood pressure
monitoring daytime average or home blood pressure monitoring average blood pressure 135/85
mmHg or higher
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NICE Pathways
Stage 2 hypertension
clinic blood pressure 160/100 mmHg or higher and subsequent ambulatory blood pressure
monitoring daytime average or home blood pressure monitoring average blood pressure 150/95
mmHg or higher
White-coat effect
a discrepancy of more than 20/10 mmHg between clinic and average daytime ambulatory blood
pressure monitoring or average home blood pressure monitoring measurements at the time of
diagnosis
Sources
Hypertension (2011) NICE guideline CG127
Implanting a baroreceptor stimulation device for resistant hypertension (2015) NICE
interventional procedure guidance 533
Percutaneous transluminal radiofrequency sympathetic denervation of the renal artery for
resistant hypertension (2012) NICE interventional procedure guidance 418
Your responsibility
The guidance in this pathway represents the view of NICE, which was arrived at after careful
consideration of the evidence available. Those working in the NHS, local authorities, the wider
public, voluntary and community sectors and the private sector should take it into account when
carrying out their professional, managerial or voluntary duties. Implementation of this guidance
is the responsibility of local commissioners and/or providers. Commissioners and providers are
reminded that it is their responsibility to implement the guidance, in their local context, in light of
their duties to avoid unlawful discrimination and to have regard to promoting equality of
opportunity. Nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way which would be inconsistent
with compliance with those duties.
Copyright
Copyright National Institute for Health and Care Excellence 2015. All rights reserved. NICE
copyright material can be downloaded for private research and study, and may be reproduced
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NICE Pathways
for educational and not-for-profit purposes. No reproduction by or for commercial organisations,

or for commercial purposes, is allowed without the written permission of NICE.
Contact NICE
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Level 1A, City Tower
Piccadilly Plaza
Manchester
M1 4BT
www.nice.org.uk
nice@nice.org.uk
0845 003 7781
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Hypertension Treatment Steps For Hypertension

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Treatment steps for

Treatment steps for hypertension

Treatment steps for hypertension

Person aged under 55 with hypertension

Step 1 ACE inhibitor or ARB

Person aged over 55 or black person of African or Caribbean family

Treatment steps for hypertension

Choose a low-cost ARB.

Treatment steps for hypertension

Referral to a specialist for people with resistant hypertension

Choose a low-cost ARB.

Treatment steps for hypertension

Hypertension: (drug treatment): electronic audit tool

Step 4 Resistant hypertension

For treatment of resistant hypertension at step 4:

Referral to a specialist for people with resistant hypertension

Treatment steps for hypertension

Monitoring drug treatment

See Hypertension / Hypertension overview / Review annually

Treatment steps for hypertension

Treatment steps for hypertension

Treatment steps for hypertension

for educational and not-for-profit purposes. No reproduction by or for commercial organisations,

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