title: Antihypertensive combination therapy: optimizing blood pressure control and cardiovascular risk reduction.
abstract: Treating hypertension reduces the rates of myocardial infarction, stroke, and renal disease; however, clinical trial experience suggests that monotherapy is not likely to be successful for achieving goal blood pressure (BP) levels in many hypertensive patients. In multiple recent clinical trials including various subsets of hypertensive patients, the achievement of BP goal has typically required the combination of 2 or more medications, particularly in patients with BP levels>160/100 mm Hg. When initiating combination therapy for hypertension, careful consideration must be given to the choice of medication. Clinical trial evidence has shown the efficacy of various combinations of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics in reducing BP and cardiovascular risk. Ongoing trials should provide additional guidance on the optimal choice of combination regimens in specific clinical settings.
authors.affiliation: Hypertension Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390-8899, USA. shawna.nesbitt@utsouthwestern.edu
authors.forename: Shawna D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Nesbitt
mesh_terms: D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D020913:Perindopril / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004232:Diuretics; D013777:Tetrazoles; C081643:candesartan; D020913:Perindopril