The scientific evidence for the management of prehypertensives and high risk group

The establishment of the concept of "prehypertension" has drawn attention to the preclinical range of blood pressure with clinical and public health significance. Prehypertensive individuals require lifestyle modifications (risk factor management) to prevent the progressive rise in blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Also, for those with hypertension, adoption of healthy lifestyles is an indispensable part of hypertension control, because lifestyle modifications enhance antihypertensive drug efficacy and prevent or delay the incidence of CVD. For the effective management of hypertension at the national level in Korea, evidence-based recommendations for lifestyle modification method and education programs are urgently needed. Thus, to obtain evidence-based data, intensive support from the government level is needed for further long-term follow-up studies and randomized clinical trials for high-risk groups and prehypertensives.