2018 Korean Society of Hypertension-2

The standardized techniques of blood pressure (BP) measurement in the clinic are emphasized and it is
recommended to replace the mercury sphygmomanometer by a non-mercury sphygmomanometer. Out-of-office
BP measurement using home BP monitoring (HBPM) or ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) and even automated
office BP (AOBP) are recommended to correctly measure the patient’s genuine BP. Hypertension (HTN) treatment
should be individualized based on cardiovascular (CV) risk and the level of BP. Based on the recent clinical study
data proving benefits of intensive BP lowering in the high risk patients, the revised guideline recommends the
more intensive BP lowering in high risk patients including the elderly population. Lifestyle modifications, mostly low
salt diet and weight reduction, are strongly recommended in the population with elevated BP and prehypertension
and all hypertensive patients. In patients with BP higher than 160/100 mmHg or more than 20/10 mmHg above the
target BP, two drugs can be prescribed in combination to maximize the antihypertensive effect and to achieve
rapid BP control. Especially, single pill combination drugs have multiple benefits, including maximizing reduction of
BP, minimizing adverse effects, increasing adherence, and preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and target organ
damage.