How New Developments in Pharmacology Receptor Theory Are Changing (Our Understanding of) Hypertension Therapy

Many hypertension therapeutics were developed prior to major advances in drug receptor theory. Moreover, newer drugs may take advantage of some of the newly understood modalities of receptor function.

The goal of this review is to provide an up-to-date summary of drug receptor theory. This is followed by a discussion of the drug classes recognized for treating hypertension to which new concepts in receptor theory apply.

We raise ideas for mechanisms of potential new antihypertensive drugs and whether they may take advantage of new theories in drug-receptor interaction.