title: Drug induced hypertension--An unappreciated cause of secondary hypertension.
abstract: Most patients with hypertension have essential hypertension or well-known forms of secondary hypertension, such as renal disease, renal artery stenosis, or common endocrine diseases (hyperaldosteronism or pheochromocytoma). Physicians are less aware of drug induced hypertension. A variety of therapeutic agents or chemical substances may increase blood pressure. When a patient with well controlled hypertension is presented with acute blood pressure elevation, use of drug or chemical substance which increases blood pressure should be suspected. Drug-induced blood pressure increases are usually minor and short-lived, although rare hypertensive emergencies associated with use of certain drugs have been reported. Careful evaluation of prescription and non-prescription medications is crucial in the evaluation of the hypertensive individual and may obviate the need for expensive and unnecessary evaluations. Discontinuation of the offending agent will usually achieve adequate blood pressure control. When use of a chemical agent which increases blood pressure is mandatory, anti-hypertensive therapy may facilitate continued use of this agent. We summarize the therapeutic agents or chemical substances that elevate blood pressure and their mechanisms of action.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Department, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: Alon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.affiliation: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Division of Cardiology St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Franz H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Messerli
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine D and Hypertension Unit, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Hashomer 52621, Israel. Electronic address: grosse@post.tau.ac.il.
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grossman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced*
keywords: Bevacizumab; Blood pressure; Celecoxib; Drug-induced hypertension; Lapatinib; Medications; Prednisone Licorice acid; Rofecoxib; Sorafenib; Sunitinib; Tyrosine kinase inhibitors; Venlafaxine; chemicals; cyclosporin A