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Published on: June 7, 2013
Hypertension in the 1990s: a new disease
1Pennsylvania University/Good Samaritan Hospital Family Practice Residency Program, Lebanon.
Insights
Newer hypertension drugs show promise for improving cardiovascular health by positively impacting left ventricular hypertrophy, lipids, and insulin resistance. These advancements may offer benefits not seen in earlier mild-to-moderate hypertension treatment trials.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Major hypertension trials show limited benefits for stroke prevention and no benefit for coronary heart disease in mild-to-moderate cases.
- Previous treatment strategies for hypertension yielded suboptimal cardiovascular outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the potential cardioprotective effects of newer pharmacologic agents for hypertension.
- To assess the impact of novel antihypertensive drugs on left ventricular hypertrophy, serum lipids, and insulin resistance.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a MEDLINE search (1966-1991) using keywords: left ventricular hypertrophy, hypertension, insulin resistance, cholesterol.
- Reviewed bibliographies of relevant articles and personal files for additional information.
Main Results:
- Newer agents like alpha-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and ACE inhibitors positively affect left ventricular hypertrophy.
- These pharmacologic agents demonstrate beneficial effects on serum lipids and insulin levels.
Conclusions:
- Novel antihypertensive medications offer potential cardioprotective benefits.
- These drugs may provide cardiovascular advantages in treating mild-to-moderate hypertension, addressing limitations of prior trials.
Background:
Recent analyses of the cumulative results of the major treatment trials of mild-to-moderate hypertension have shown only a small benefit in the prevention of stroke and no benefit in the prevention of coronary heart disease.
Methods:
A MEDLINE search for articles published from 1966 to 1991 was made using the key words "left ventricular hypertrophy," "hypertension," "insulin resistance," and "cholesterol." The bibliographies of these articles and articles previously abstracted in The Family Practice Newsletter (InforMed) and the author's personal files were also sources of information.
Results And Conclusions:
Newer pharmacologic agents for hypertension, the peripheral alpha-blockers, the calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, exert positive effects on left ventricular hypertrophy, serum lipids, and serum insulin and could be cardioprotective. These drugs offer the promise of being able to show cardiovascular benefits from the treatment of mild-to-moderate hypertension that were not realized in the earlier clinical trials.
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Hypertension I: Introduction
Hypertension II: Pathophysiology
Hypertension III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Hypertension IV: Drug Therapy and Lifestyle Modifications

