Abstract

Impact of recent landmark clinical trials on hypertension treatment

Author(s): Ikechi G Okpechi, Brian L Rayner

High blood pressure remains an important global cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Strategies for treating hypertension continue to change as new evidence becomes available from clinical drug trials or observational studies on hypertension treatment. As new hypertension guidelines become available, the impact of these trials become evident from changes in the recommendations of treatment, choice of drugs, options of treatment in special situations and goals of therapy. Although the results of landmark trials, conducted mainly within the last half decade, are having significant impact on the recommendations of hypertension guidelines from different societies, their results continue to stir controversies in hypertension treatment and leave many questions unanswered. However, much is expected from major hypertension guidelines to be released in the next 12 months.