◆引言 INTRODUCTION For more than 3 decades, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has administered the National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP) Coordinating Committee, a coalition of 39 major professional, public, and voluntary organizations and 7 federal agencies. One important function is to issue guidelines and advisories designed to increase awareness, prevention, treatment, and control of hypertension (high blood pressure [BP]). Since the publication of "The Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure" (JNC VI) released in 1997,1 many large-scale clinical trials have been published. The decision to appoint a committee for "The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure" (JNC 7) was based on 4 factors: publication of many new hypertension observational studies and clinical trials; need for a new clear and concise guideline that would be useful for clinicians; need to simplify the classification of BP; and a clear recognition that the JNC reports were not being used to their maximum benefit. This JNC report is presented in 2 separate publications: this current succinct practical guide and a more comprehensive report to be published separately, which will provide a broader discussion and justification for the current recommendations. In presenting these guidelines, the committee recognizes that the responsible physician's judgment is paramount in managing his or her patients. 编辑 郑麓薇