Drug therapy for hypertension

By matching the profile of an antihypertensive drug to the clinical and demographic characteristics of the patient (e.g., risk factors, coexisting diseases, goals of therapy beyond lowering blood pressure), the physician can maximize the efficacy of the regimen and minimize the adverse effects the patient may experience. Optimal therapy requires a knowledge of the pharmacologic properties of the six broad classes of antihypertensive drugs: diuretics, sympatholytics (including central and peripheral adrenergic receptor blockers), direct vasodilators, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium channel blockers and angiotensin II receptor antagonists.