Using the Predicting Risk of cardiovascular disease EVENTs (PREVENT™) equations provides more accurate risk estimates and supports personalized treatment for adults with high blood pressure or hypertension, according to a new scientific statement published today in the American Heart Association's peer-reviewed journals Circulation and Hypertension, and in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology. This document is a companion to the recently published 2025 AHA/ACC High Blood Pressure Guideline that newly recommends the PREVENT equations to personalize care.
The PREVENT™ equations, developed by the American Heart Association in 2023, are a clinical tool to estimate 10- and 30-year risk for total cardiovascular disease (CVD), including atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and heart failure in adults ages 30–79 without a history of CVD. The PREVENT™ calculator, based on the PREVENT™ equations, uses clinical factors, such as body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, diabetes and adverse social factors (including a zip code–based social deprivation index), to estimate an individual's CVD risk, which includes ASCVD and heart failure. Built on data from 6M+ diverse U.S. adults, PREVENT™ offers broader applicability than the previously recommended Pooled Cohort Equations (PCEs, the previous risk model used to estimate only ASCVD risk).
Scientific Statement highlights include:
- Details the evidence for why the 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline recommends using the PREVENT™-CVD equations and supports using the PREVENTTM-CVD equations to guide treatment decisions for adults with high blood pressure.
- Shares the evidence for the new PREVENTTM-CVD threshold defined in the 2025 Guideline, which recommends people with stage 1 hypertension (systolic blood pressure 130–139 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure 80–89 mm Hg) and a PREVENTTM-CVD 10-year cardiovascular disease risk score of ≥7.5% should begin taking blood pressure medication(s) along with lifestyle changes.
- Defines the population-level implications of the revised PREVENTTM-CVD risk threshold in the 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline demonstrating that the number of people recommended for antihypertensive therapy according to the 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline is similar to the 2017 High Blood Pressure Guideline. This directly addresses earlier concerns that fewer people may be recommended antihypertensive treatment. Moreover, the greater accuracy of the PREVENTTM-CVD equations means identifying individuals most likely to benefit from treatment while avoiding unnecessary medication in lower-risk individuals.
- Shares practical guidance on integrating the PREVENTTM equations into holistic risk assessment that can personalize care for each individual and develop an integrated health care plan to meet patients' needs.
- More information about PREVENTTM
