Is there a role for nurse-led blood pressure management in primary care?

Adequate treatment of high blood pressure reduces the risk of strokes and other cardiovascular events, but current treatment in UK general practice is often inadequate. Nurse-led management of people with high blood pressure could lead to improvements due to strict adherence to protocols, agreed target blood pressure, better prescribing and compliance, and regular follow-up. However, a review of the literature shows a lack of robust evidence of the effectiveness of nurse-led hypertension management in primary care. There is a clear need for randomized controlled trials to see if nurse-led management is associated with better blood pressure control than routine care.