Brazil Reclassifies Blood Pressure to Label 12/8 as Pre‑Hypertension

Overview

• Brazil’s cardiology, hypertension and nephrology societies now define normal as below 12/8, pre‑hypertension as 12/8–13.9/8.9, and hypertension as 14/9 or higher, and pregnancy care follows distinct thresholds with hypertension defined above 14/9.
• For people newly labeled pre‑hypertensive, initial care centers on lifestyle changes including cutting salt, exercising, managing weight, quitting smoking and maintaining regular follow‑up rather than starting medication.
• The expanded pre‑hypertension bracket brings more Brazilians into recommended monitoring and could increase demand for primary‑care and pharmacy blood‑pressure checks.
• Hypertension affects about 36 million adults in Brazil, underscoring the push to detect risk earlier and reduce cardiovascular complications.
• A WHO report presented this week counted 1.4 billion people living with hypertension in 2024 and found only 28% of low‑income countries report general availability of all recommended medicines, highlighting ongoing access gaps.