I wouldn't be so quick to discount the research the AHA does on hypertension and heart failure. While there's certainly room for healthy debate, and standards of care do change back and forth sometimes, ultimately healthcare providers try to go where the evidence leads them.
If the load on the heart stays too high over time, pre-hypertension can develop into something much less treatable.
Also, try to remember that hypertension, when caught early, doesn't always have to result in anti-hypertensive meds (which aren't poison, btw). Changes in diet and lifestyle can lead to the sort of overall cardiovascular health that those of us in healthcare WANT people to have so that they don't have to keep coming to the hospital or use expensive medications.