Hypertension affects roughly half of U.S. adults and remains the leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Yet blood pressure control is still falling short — fewer than half of treated patients reach their target. For general internists, staying current on hypertension management is essential to addressing this public health challenge.
This session was timed to the August 2025 release of the updated U.S. Multispecialty High BP Guideline (endorsed by SGIM), which introduces several practice-changing recommendations. Presenters walk through key updates, including:
- Using the PREVENT equation to guide treatment-initiation thresholds for primary prevention
- A goal BP of <130/<80 mm Hg for all adults, with a suggested target of <120 mm Hg systolic
- Starting pharmacotherapy in low-risk stage 1 hypertension when 3–6 months of lifestyle changes haven’t worked
- Using single-pill combinations as initial therapy for stage 2 hypertension
- Potassium-based salt substitutes for hypertension prevention and treatment
- Incretin-based weight loss therapy as a BP-lowering strategy in patients with overweight or obesity
- Expanded screening for primary hyperaldosteronism
- BP lowering as a strategy to help prevent mild cognitive impairment and dementia
Each recommendation is grounded in a patient case and paired with an audience-response question, walking through the supporting evidence along the way.
The session also looks ahead to emerging therapies, covering recent data on three new antihypertensive drug classes — dual endothelin antagonists, aldosterone synthase inhibitors, and angiotensinogen siRNAs — as well as renal denervation, with attention to which of these have reached FDA approval by the time of the meeting.
Attendees leave with a working command of current hypertension management and a clear-eyed preview of what’s coming next.
Presenters
Kelsey B. Bryant, MD, MPH, MS
Jennifer L. Cluett, MD
Catherine G. Derington, PharmD, MS
Nadia Liyanage-Don, MD
