Synthesis of evidence and recommendations: guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of arterial hypertension in adults

Abstract

Introduction. Arterial hypertension (high blood pressure) is one of the most prevalent chronic noncommuni-cable diseases. It is a cause of cardiovascular disease and is the leading attributable cause of death in the Region of the Americas. Objectives. Synthesize the recommendations developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to improve the quality of care and health outcomes of adults with high blood pressure, and address aspects of implement-ing these recommendations. Methods. A synthesis was conducted of the recommendations contained in the WHO Guideline for the phar-macological treatment of hypertension in adults. In addition, a systematic search for studies carried out in the Region of the Americas was conducted in PubMed, Lilacs, Health Systems Evidence, Epistemonikos, and gray literature in order to identify barriers, facilitators, and implementation strategies. Results. Ten recommendations were made for adults with high blood pressure. Implementation barriers, facil-itators, and strategies were identified, and indicators were created for assessing treatment adherence and outcomes. Conclusions. The formulated recommendations aim to provide guidance on how to approach the phar-macological treatment of hypertension in adults, except pregnant women, as well as considerations for implementation of the recommendations in Latin America and the Caribbean.