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BackgroundHypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and all‐cause mortality. Compared with prior guidelines, the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) hypertension guideline recommends lower blood pressure thresholds for defining hypertension, for initiating antihypertensive medication, and for antihypertensive medication treatment goals. Methods and ResultsTo better understand potential impacts of the 2017 guideline, we studied trends in mean systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, prevalence and burden of hypertension, and proportion of controlled hypertension in the US adult population aged ≥20 from 1999 through 2016. We used data from 38 276 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Age‐standardized prevalence of hypertension decreased from 48.4% in 1999–2000 to 45.4% in 2015–2016. However, absolute burden of hypertension consistently increased, from 87.0 million in 1999–2000 to 108.2 million in 2015–2016. The age‐standardized proportion of controlled hypertension among adults receiving antihypertensive pharmacologic treatment increased from 1999–2000 (25.6%) to 2015–2016 (43.5%). There was not consistent improvement in control throughout the full period among non‐Hispanic blacks, individuals aged ≥60, or those with diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, or high cardiovascular disease risk. ConclusionsBased on the 2017 guideline, from 1999 to 2016, the age‐standardized prevalence of hypertension decreased and the proportion of control among those treated for hypertension improved. However, the absolute hypertension burden increased. Among those treated, the control rate did not consistently improve in all subgroups. These data emphasize the need for continuous efforts in the prevention and control of hypertension in the US general population.

BackgroundShort‐term exposure to elevated air pollution has been associated with higher risk of acute cardiovascular diseases, with systemic oxidative stress induced by air pollution hypothesized as an important underlying mechanism. However, few community‐based studies have assessed this association. Methods and ResultsTwo thousand thirty‐five Framingham Offspring Cohort participants living within 50 km of the Harvard Boston Supersite who were not current smokers were included. We assessed circulating biomarkers of oxidative stress including blood myeloperoxidase at the seventh examination (1998–2001) and urinary creatinine‐indexed 8‐epi‐prostaglandin F2α (8‐epi‐PGF2α) at the seventh and eighth (2005–2008) examinations. We measured fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon, sulfate, nitrogen oxides, and ozone at the Supersite and calculated 1‐, 2‐, 3‐, 5‐, and 7‐day moving averages of each pollutant. Measured myeloperoxidase and 8‐epi‐PGF2α were loge transformed. We used linear regression models and linear mixed‐effects models with random intercepts for myeloperoxidase and indexed 8‐epi‐PGF2α, respectively. Models were adjusted for demographic variables, individual‐ and area‐level measures of socioeconomic position, clinical and lifestyle factors, weather, and temporal trend. We found positive associations of PM2.5 and black carbon with myeloperoxidase across multiple moving averages. Additionally, 2‐ to 7‐day moving averages of PM2.5 and sulfate were consistently positively associated with 8‐epi‐PGF2α. Stronger positive associations of black carbon and sulfate with myeloperoxidase were observed among participants with diabetes than in those without. ConclusionsOur community‐based investigation supports an association of select markers of ambient air pollution with circulating biomarkers of oxidative stress.