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Published on: May 26, 2022
Treatment of hypertension: state of the art in 1979
Insights
Hypertension treatment is effective in preventing complications, with lower diastolic blood pressure targets now recommended. New and established drugs offer promising advancements in managing high blood pressure.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Previous studies, including the Veterans Administration Co-operative Study, established the efficacy of hypertension treatment.
- Subsequent trials have expanded on these findings, incorporating diverse patient populations and varying disease severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the extended findings of hypertension treatment trials.
- To assess the evolving targets for beneficial blood pressure reduction.
- To highlight recent pharmacological advancements in hypertension management.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from subsequent clinical trials following the Veterans Administration Co-operative Study.
- Comparison of treatment effectiveness across different patient demographics and disease profiles.
- Review of emerging and established pharmacological agents for hypertension.
Main Results:
- Hypertension treatment effectively prevents most complications, excluding myocardial infarction and sudden death.
- The optimal diastolic blood pressure target for beneficial effects has been lowered from 105 mmHg to 100 mmHg, as evidenced by larger trials.
- Beta-adrenoreceptor-blocking drugs show potential in reducing sudden death and fatal myocardial infarction, warranting further investigation.
Conclusions:
- Current hypertension treatment strategies are effective, with evolving targets for improved outcomes.
- New pharmacological agents and the re-evaluation of older drugs, like reserpine in combination with diuretics, enhance treatment options.
- The field of hypertension management is advancing, with expectations for continued progress.
Abstract:
1. The results of the Veterans Administration Co-operative Study have been extended by the subsequent clinical trials, which included patients of both sexes and with less vascular disease. The later studies confirm the effectiveness of treatment in preventing most complications except myocardial infarction and sudden death. Furthermore, the lower diastolic blood pressure in which treatment has been shown to have a significant beneficial effect has been lowered from 105 mmHg as indicated by the Veterans Study to 100 mmHg as shown by the much larger Australian trial. The possibility of reducing the incidence of sudden death and fatal myocardial infarction has been suggested by other recent control trials using beta-adrenoreceptor-blocking drugs, an approach that needs further exploration. 2. A number of interesting and useful new drugs have appeared which include tienilic acid, minoxidil, saralasin and captopril, and in addition recent controlled trials have re-emphasized the effectiveness of the old drug, reserpine, when combined with a diuretic. The art of treatment of hypertension therefore appears to be in a healthy state and we should expect more advances in the future.
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Hypertension and Regulation of Blood Pressure
Hypertension I: Introduction
Hypertension II: Pathophysiology
Hypertension III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Hypertension IV: Drug Therapy and Lifestyle Modifications
Hypertension V: Nursing Management

