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Abstract:  Selection of the “best” antihypertensive therapy was an issue of great debate among clinicians in the past. As large meta-analytic studies have shown, all antihypertensive drugs lower blood pressure by about the same amount; the main differences are in their side effects, cost, and frequency of administration. The side effect profiles, along with the patient’s comorbid conditions, should determine the combination of drugs to use. For the most part, side effects from antihypertensive drugs are predictable since they are dose related. When hypertension coexists with other cardiac conditions, drugs that treat both hypertension and other conditions at the same time should be chosen. Physicians should be encouraged to aggressively pursue treatment goals in hypertension, and meta-analysis has shown that combination drug therapy is the best way to reduce doses and side effects while maintaining effectiveness in blood pressure control. Compounded combinations let physicians tailor prescriptions to the patient; individualizing the mix of drugs and doses allows more aggressive treatment while controlling side effects and cost of therapy.

Related Keywords: Catherine A. Harrington, PharmD, PhD, Jacintha Cauffield, PharmD, BCPS, hypertension, high blood pressure, antihypertensive medication, combination drug regimens, adverse effects, side effects, drug costs

Related Categories: BUSINESS, CARDIOLOGY

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