Clinical pharmacology of antihypertensive drugs

Abstract

Systemic hypertension is a major public health problem and is perhaps the most common chronic disorder in most societies. Most patients with vascular disease report hypertension in their medical history. Irrespective of the specialty that one practices, every physician will likely encounter patients with systemic hypertension. Unfortunately, an overwhelming number have so-called "primary" or "essential" hypertension for which a cure has yet to be found. Fortunately, excellent therapy is available to control this modern malady. The field of hypertension continues to evolve rapidly, particularly in the field of therapy. During the past two decades, the treatment of hypertension has moved from a cookbook approach to more scientifically based individualized management. This paradigm shift requires the practitioner to acquire sufficient knowledge about individual drugs and how they work in a given patient. Rapid expansion of available drugs has placed a burden on the clinician to keep up with these advances. We hope that the discussions contained herein will ease that burden somewhat and make the treatment options less cumbersome. This article addresses the practical issues related to selection of antihypertensive drugs and provides an overview of advantages and disadvantages of individual drug classes. The reader should also refer to the JNC VI document [1] to further understand the selection of drug therapy based upon compelling indications. The ultimate aim of hypertension management should always be to achieve target or goal blood pressure levels.