Antihypertensive Therapy and Cardiovascular Risk: Are All Antihypertensives Equal?

• Published in: Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. 1979) Vol. 19; no. 1 Suppl I; pp. I-124 - I-129
• Main Author: Giles, Thomas D
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Heart Association, Inc 01.01.1992; Hagerstown, MD Lippincott
• Subjects: Antihypertensive agents; Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular Diseases - complications; Cardiovascular Diseases - drug therapy; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Cardiovascular system; Humans; Hypertension - complications; Hypertension - drug therapy; Medical sciences; Morbidity; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Risk Factors; United States - epidemiology; United States
• ISSN: 0194-911X; 1524-4563
• DOI: 10.1161/01.hyp.19.1_suppl.i124

The lack of success of antihypertensive drug therapy in decreasing cardiovascular events has caused close examination of the influence of antihypertensive drugs on cardiac risk factors. Striking differences exist in the pharmacological profiles of antihypertensive drug classes and subclasses as well as in the influences of the drugs on electrolyte, lipid, and glucose metabolism. Differences also exist in the effects of the drugs on left ventricular hypertrophy. These differences in the effects of antihypertensive drugs on cardiac risk factors may assist in explaining the lack of a favorable effect on cardiovascular events in previous clinical trials. However, prospective trials are necessary to demonstrate that treatment of hypertension with drugs that have a more favorable effect on cardiac risk factors will reduce cardiac events (i.e., myocardial infarction, heart failure, and sudden death).