Master Blood Pressure Classification (JNC 7) with Picmonic for Medicine

Routine screening of these patients should be continued at every checkup to ensure that it remains in the normotensive range.

In normotensive patients, the systolic blood pressure is below 120 mmHg.

In normotensive patients, the diastolic blood pressure is below 80 mmHg.

Patients with prehypertension have increased cardiovascular risk and are more likely to develop hypertension. These patients should be managed with diet and lifestyle modifications, such as alcohol and smoking cessation.

Prehypertensive patients have systolic blood pressure between 120 and 139 mmHg.

Prehypertensive patients have diastolic blood pressure between 80 and 89 mmHg.

Clinical hypertension breaks down into two stages, stage 1 and stage 2. Patients diagnosed with stage 1 hypertension can often be treated with a single agent, such as a thiazide diuretic, calcium channel blocker, ACE inhibitor, or ARB.

Patients with stage 1 hypertension have a systolic pressure over 140 mmHg but less than 159 mmHg.

Diastolic pressures in stage 1 hypertension are between 90 and 99 mmHg.

Clinical hypertension breaks down into two stages, stage 1 and stage 2. Patients diagnosed with stage 2 hypertension often require treatment with two or more agents, such as a thiazide diuretic, calcium channel blocker, an ACE inhibitor, or ARB.

Patients with stage 2 hypertension have a systolic pressure over 160 mmHg.

Diastolic pressures in stage 2 hypertension are over 100 mmHg.

Patients with systolic blood pressure over 180 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure over 100 mmHg have hypertensive urgency if they are asymptomatic or hypertensive emergency if they are symptomatic and have signs of end-organ damage. These patients require treatment with PO or IV medications, such as nitrates, calcium channel blockers, and beta-blockers.

Patients with systolic blood pressure over 180 mmHg are considered to have hypertensive urgency if they are asymptomatic or hypertensive emergency if they are symptomatic and have signs of end-organ damage.

Patients with diastolic blood pressure over 110 mmHg are considered to have hypertensive urgency if they are asymptomatic or hypertensive emergency if symptomatic and have signs of end-organ damage.