NICE update: hypertension guideline supports CVD ambitions

NICE published four technology appraisals and four guidelines during the past month.

Under the updated guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure (hypertension) NG136, the level of a person’s cardiovascular disease risk at which treatment for high blood pressure can be started has been reduced.

The updated guideline recommends that blood pressure lowering drugs should be offered to people aged under 80 who have a diagnosis of stage 1 hypertension and who also have a 10% or greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease within the next 10 years.

The guideline supports the direction of the NHS long-term plan and the CVD System Leadership Forum’s CVD ambitions to improve outcomes in cardiovascular disease, including preventing strokes and heart attacks, through better detection and treatment of high blood pressure.

The estimated financial impact of implementing this guideline for England in the next six years is a net cost of £0.8m in 2019/20 rising to £3.1m in 2024/25.

Two antimicrobial prescribing guidelines for community (NG138) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (NG139) have also been published.

Among the technology appraisals, both olaparib (TA598) and pembrolizumab (TA600), have been recommended for use in the Cancer Drugs Fund. TA597 (Dapagliflozin with insulin for treating type1 diabetes) recommends the new technology for people with type 1 diabetes not controlled by insulin therapy alone in adults with a body mass index of at least 27 kg/m2.