Optimum drug treatment in hypertension

The ultimate objective in treating hypertension is to select an agent directed at the specific mechanism causing blood pressure elevation in the individual case. Such a choice is not possible in most cases at present; it is usually more important to match the profile of drug activity to the characteristics of the patient. In combination therapy, it is important also to match drug with drug, so as to obtain synergistic actions and to avoid adverse interactions. Finally, drugs that allow once-daily dosing are advantageous. These principles are used in deriving an optimum approach for practical application of the antihypertensive drug armamentarium available in 1990.