A large study also suggested there was benefit of treating people with stage 1 hypertension. However, other studies in people with a low cardiovascular risk did not identify a benefit of treatment, and the committee agreed that the benefit of treatment across different cardiovascular risk groups was uncertain. The evidence was used to develop an economic model to compare the cost effectiveness of antihypertensive treatment with no treatment in people with stage 1 hypertension at different levels of cardiovascular risk. For people aged 60, the model showed that treatment was cost effective at a 10-year cardiovascular risk level of 10%, but there was some uncertainty at around 5% risk. Further analysis showed that it was cost effective to offer antihypertensive treatment to people aged 40 and 50 with stage 1 hypertension at a 5% risk and aged 70 and 75 at a 10% or 15% risk. QRISK was specified as the risk tool because it is recommended by NICE for risk calculation and most likely to be used in practice. Taking into account the evidence and the results of the model, the committee were confident that people under 80 with stage 1 hypertension and a cardiovascular risk above 10% should have a discussion with their healthcare professional about starting antihypertensive treatment, alongside lifestyle changes, and that this would be a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources. The committee also agreed that antihypertensive treatment should be considered for people under 60 with a risk below 10%, with the degree of uncertainty in treating people at low risk reflected in the strength of the recommendation. 