[Long-term treatment of hypertension in 1983]

Persons with either borderline or established hypertension should always be instructed in a series of general measures. These include a reduction of overweight, dietary salt restriction, no smoking, whenever possible discontinuation of oral contraceptives, appropriate physical exercise, and treatment, primarily by diet, of a coexisting hyperlipidemia. Such non-pharmacologic measures may often improve the potential risk constellation and in some persons with borderline or mild hypertension even normalize the blood pressure. Pharmacotherapy is recommended only in selected cases with persistent borderline blood pressure elevation but, on a partly empirical basis, appears usually to be indicated for established hypertension of greater than or equal to 160/95 mm Hg. The coexistence of diabetes mellitus or renal functional impairment and advancing age of a patient deserve special consideration in the choice and/or dosage of antihypertensive drugs. Failure to achieve satisfactory blood pressure control through general measures and appropriately dosed triple drug therapy (including a diuretic, a betablocker or other sympatholytic or calcium antagonist, and (di)hydralazine, prazosin or endralazine) calls for thorough reevaluation of the situation. Causes which may simulate or induce resistant hypertension include technical problems with measurement, oral contraceptives, insufficient patient cooperation, sodium fluid volume retention, insufficient pharmacotherapy, drug interactions, "office hypertension" with satisfactory blood pressure in the patient's daily environment, and potentially operable causes such as renal artery stenosis or pheochromocytoma. If none of these factors is present, persistent uncontrolled hypertension can very often be treated satisfactorily with newer potent drugs such as the convertase inhibitor captopril as first choice agent in women, or the direct vasodilator minoxidil as the preferred agent in men. Together with the necessary steps to improve patient compliance, including increased blood pressure measurements by the patient himself, practitioners can now rely upon effective therapeutic tools. The present social and economic burden resulting for the individual and the public from neglected therapeutic opportunities, from excess morbidity and early death due to inadequately treated hypertension, can and must be reduced in the interests of the community at large.