Primary Care Physicians Updated on Latest JNC 8 Hypertension Guidelines at Continuing Education Company CME Conference
Palm Coast, Florida (PRWEB) March 18, 2014 -- The Hypertension update lecture at a recent continuing medical education (CME) conference for primary care physicians and other allied health professionals highlighted the recent JNC 8 guidelines. Continuing Education Company Inc. organized the CME conference and instruction was given by Dr. Jan Basile, Professor of Medicine at the Seinsheimer Cardiac Health Program, Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.
The guidelines have recently changed and there are a few takeaways from the lecture that should be shared with health professionals. According to Barbara Lyons from the Continuing Education Company, "The new JNC 8 hypertension guidelines have some interesting new blood pressure goals and all primary care health professionals should be educated on the changes."
Here are the top takeaways from Dr. Jan Basile's lectures on hypertension at the recent conference:
1. In JNC 8 all patients, except those 60 years of age and older should have a BP goal of <140/90mm Hg. For those 60 and older, the goal should be <150/90mm Hg.
2. Acceptable drug choices, including for those patients with diabetes, are thiazide-type diuretics, calcium-channel blockers (CCBs), angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs).
3. The exception is with African American patients, including those with diabetes without chronic kidney desease (CKD) to suggest preferential use of ACE inhibitors or ARBs.
4. Patients with CKD should initially (or as add-on therapy) receive ACE inhibitors or ARBs.
5. In those with resistant hypertension, adding drugs like chlorthalidone instead of hydrochlorthiazide, and spironolactone, amiloride, and an alpha or alpha-beta blocker can often be helpful to better control BP.
Jan N. Basile, MD completed his medical degree at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. He served his internship and residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where he was also Chief Resident. He is boarded in internal medicine and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP) and the American Society of Hypertension (FASH), as well as a member of the ASH Board of Directors. His many honors and awards include the Medical University of South Carolina School of Medicine Excellence in Teaching Award and the Golden Apple awards.
Dr. Basile’s research interests include outcome-based studies involving hypertension, lipid disorders, and diabetes. He has been involved in many large hypertension trials including the ALLHAT, ACCORD, ONTARGET, ACCOMPLISH, and VALUE trials and is currently participating in SPRINT, under the auspices of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. In addition to his contributing to the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, Dr. Basile has published more than 300 original papers, abstracts, and book chapters, as well as a textbook, Hot Topics: Hypertension (Hanley & Belfus, 2003).
Continuing Education Company, Inc. (CEC) is an independent, non-profit, 501 (c)(3) continuing medical education organization. They have been developing and presenting continuing medical education programs for over 22 years. Their mission is to develop and provide educational opportunities to improve the skills and knowledge of medical and healthcare professionals. They accomplish this mission by offering American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) accredited CME lectures, symposia, and conferences.
Dr. Basile and several other experts will be presenting at the upcoming 18th Annual CME Conference on Hypertension, Diabetes and Dyslipidemia. The conference is being held in Charleston, SC June 27-29, 2014. All interested in receiving all the most recent updates should plan on attending. Visit http://www.cmemeeting.org for more information.
Walter Ejnes, Continuing Education Company, Inc., http://www.cmemeeting.org, +1 516-882-5551 Ext: 100, [email protected]
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