Antihypertensive Medications

Excerpt

Hypertension (HTN) is considered one of the leading causes of increased cardiovascular disease. Lowering blood pressure does reduce cardiovascular risks; maintaining systolic blood pressure of less than 130 mm Hg demonstrably prevents complications in patients with heart failure, diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. This activity discusses the guidelines for selecting the appropriate antihypertensive medications. It presents the different classes for first, second, and third-line treatments for hypertension and highlights the indications and side effects. It highlights the studies done to compare different classes of antihypertensive medications and indications for each class.