FAQ: PREVENT Equations for Personalized Hypertension Care

What are the PREVENT equations?

The PREVENT equations are clinical tools developed by the American Heart Association in 2023 to estimate 10- and 30-year risk for total cardiovascular disease, including atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and heart failure in adults ages 30-79 without a history of CVD.

Why are the PREVENT equations considered better than previous risk models?

The PREVENT equations are based on more modern, contemporary datasets from over 6 million diverse U.S. adults and offer broader applicability than the previously recommended Pooled Cohort Equations, which only estimated ASCVD risk.

What clinical factors does the PREVENT calculator use?

The PREVENT calculator uses clinical factors such as body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, diabetes status, and adverse social factors including a zip code-based social deprivation index to estimate individual CVD risk.

What is the new treatment threshold for stage 1 hypertension according to the 2025 guidelines?

The 2025 Guideline recommends that people with stage 1 hypertension (systolic 130-139 mm Hg or diastolic 80-89 mm Hg) and a PREVENT-CVD 10-year risk score of ≥7.5% should begin taking blood pressure medication along with lifestyle changes.

How does the new risk threshold affect the number of people recommended for treatment?

The number of people recommended for antihypertensive therapy according to the 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline is similar to the 2017 Guideline, addressing earlier concerns that fewer people might be recommended treatment.

What are the main benefits of using the PREVENT equations?

The PREVENT equations provide more accurate risk estimates, help identify individuals most likely to benefit from treatment, avoid unnecessary medication in lower-risk individuals, and support personalized care through holistic risk assessment.

Where can I find more information about the PREVENT equations?

More information about PREVENT is available at the American Heart Association’s professional website: https://professional.heart.org/en/guidelines-and-statements/prevent-risk-calculator

When was this scientific statement published and where?

The scientific statement was published on August 28, 2025, in the American Heart Association’s peer-reviewed journals Circulation and Hypertension, and in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Who developed the PREVENT equations and who recommends their use?

The PREVENT equations were developed by the American Heart Association in 2023 and are newly recommended in the 2025 AHA/ACC High Blood Pressure Guideline to personalize care for adults with hypertension.