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Raz Gross, MD
Chaim Sheba Medical Center Tel Aviv, Israel

JAMA. 1994;271(13):979.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

—The interesting study by Dr Markovitz and colleagues¹ about psychological predictors of hypertension and the accompanying Editorial² shed extra light on the pathophysiological role and prognostic importance of psychological factors in organic diseases.^3,4 However, one must question the criteria for hypertension used by the authors: "(1) systolic blood pressure of 160 mm Hg or higher, diastolic blood pressure of 95 mm Hg or higher, or both; and (2) the use of antihypertensive medications."¹

I get the impression that a single blood pressure measurement satisfied the investigators. The recent report of the Joint National Committee on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment on High Blood Pressure states that hypertension should not be diagnosed on the basis of a single measurement and requires at least three elevated readings during 1 to several weeks (unless systolic blood pressure is 210 mm Hg or higher and/or diastolic blood pressure . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Footnotes
Edited by Drummond Rennie, MD, Deputy Editor (West), and Margaret A. Winker, MD, Senior Editor.

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