The new guidelines of the Joint American Committee for the diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure emphasize the importance of improving the detection of the disease, and optimizing the treatment. The new classification of high blood pressure includes < 120/89 mmHg as optimum blood pressure goal, and for patients with diabetes or existing cardiac disease the blood pressure goal should be reduced to 130/85 mmHg. In this sense, the report also focuses on the need of accomplishing a diagnostic and therapeutic target of the global cardiovascular risk of the patient, taking into account other pathological situations.