[Status of ongoing controlled clinical trials on hypertension]

Antihypertensive treatment with diuretics and/or beta-blockers lowers stroke and coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality. However, although the newer antihypertensives induce effective control of blood pressure and regression of hypertensive organ damage, it has not been proven whether they reduce mortality. Ongoing clinical trials such as STOP II, CAPPP, NORDIL, INSIGHT, ALLHAT and LIFE test whether antihypertensive regimens with ACE-inhibitor, calcium-blocker, alpha-blocker and Angiotensin II-antagonist are equally good or possibly even better than diuretics and beta-blockers in preventing cardiovascular complications. The HOT trial clarifies how much the diastolic blood pressure should be lowered, and whether a small dose of aspirin has a protective effect when combined with optimal control of blood pressure. These studies should give better guidelines for the treatment of hypertension.