Heart & Circulation

New 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline: Prevention, Early Treatment, and Brain Health

2025-08-22

New 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline: Prevention, Early Treatment, and Brain Health

Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, and it remains the leading preventable cause of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and now — cognitive decline. The new 2025 Joint Guideline from the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC) takes aim at this risk with updated recommendations that replace the 2017 version.

What’s new in 2025?

• Earlier treatment, broader focus
  Lifestyle modification remains first-line, but early medication is emphasized to protect not just the heart, but also the brain. Research confirms hypertension accelerates memory decline and dementia.

• PREVENT™ risk calculator
  A new AHA tool to estimate 10- and 30-year cardiovascular risk, integrating kidney and metabolic health, plus social determinants like zip code. This helps clinicians tailor treatment earlier.
  👉 Try the calculator here: AHA PREVENT™ Risk Calculator

• Pregnancy and postpartum care
  The guideline urges tighter blood pressure control before, during, and after pregnancy to reduce preeclampsia, complications, and long-term maternal heart risk. Low-dose aspirin is recommended in select cases.

• Medication updates
  Core drug classes remain (ACE inhibitors, ARBs, thiazides, calcium channel blockers), but the guideline now notes GLP-1 therapies may benefit patients with both hypertension and obesity.

• Expanded testing

  • Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio is now standard for all with hypertension (to detect kidney damage).
  • Plasma aldosterone/renin ratio screening is broadened for detecting primary aldosteronism, especially in those with sleep apnea or stage 2 hypertension.

• #hypertension
• #heart
• #guidelines
• #cardiology
• #prevention
• #dementia