Essential hypertension

Preview

A close match between the pathophysiologic mechanism(s) causing elevated arterial pressure in a given patient and the pharmacologic profile of a specific antihypertensive agent enables the physician to achieve optimal therapeutic control of the disorder with minimal adverse effects. In this article, Dr Messerli reviews four patient groups: the young, middle-aged, elderly, and obese. (Black patients appear to have some hemodynamic abnormalities similar to obese patients and are included in the last group.) He discusses typical underlying conditions in each group that cause hypertension and specific properties of pharmacologic agents that make them appropriate or inappropriate for treatment of these conditions.