Managing hypertension: the challenges facing the non-medical prescriber

Abstract

About 40% of the adult population of Britain has hypertension. Prevalence varies according to age, gender and ethnicity, and it is more common in those of Black African, Caribbean and Indian descent, and in those with diabetes. Hypertension represents a considerable cost burden to the NHS. The two main cardiovascular consequences – heart disease and stroke – costing around £7 billion and £6 billion, respectively. The new guidance issued recently by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in conjunction with the British Hypertension Society updates the recommendations for pharmacological management of hypertension and give a clear step-wise approach to the management of hypertension in primary care. This article covers measures that are used to manage hypertension that should help nurse prescribers in their difficult task of acheiving blood pressure targets.