[Mild hypertension].

The Norwegian Report on Evaluation and Treatment of Mild Hypertension and The Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure were both published at the end of 1997. The prevalence of hypertension and the proportion of the total adult population on antihypertensive medication is about 20% and 10% respectively in both countries. In both reports patients are assessed and graded according to various risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease. However, in the American recommendations it seems that this will only have marginal impact on the number of persons with uncomplicated mild hypertension who will be recommended drug therapy. The Norwegian guidelines recommend drug therapy only where there is a minimum of 20% absolute risk (30% for the age group 60-69 years) of developing cardiovascular disease or of death within ten years. Drug therapy is not recommended for persons over 70 years with uncomplicated mild hypertension, whereas treatment is advised in cases of complicated mild hypertension. It is therefore estimated that drug therapy will be recommended for less than 50% of patients with uncomplicated mild hypertension, as opposed to almost 100% according to the American guidelines.