Why did the committee decide to retain the 2011 thresholds for diagnosis?
Overall, there was limited new evidence on the accuracy of different methods of measuring blood pressure. Most of the studies identified were small, and the populations and protocols for measurement varied making interpretation difficult. However, the committee agreed that it was important to focus on the evidence from these more recent studies (post-2000) because the evidence should reflect the current use of electronic sphygmomanometers, which have replaced mercury-based sphygmomanometers. The evidence did not show that changing the current blood pressure thresholds for clinic measurement or home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) would improve diagnostic accuracy compared with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), so the committee agreed the 2011 thresholds for diagnosis should be retained.