Hypertension: Take Those Pills Or Face The Consequences
Hypertension: Take Those Pills Or Face The Consequences Neil Chesanow wrote an excellent review on the treatment of hypertension. It states that 3.8 billion prescriptions are written in the United States each year, but more than 50% of them are filled incorrectly or not at all. It is abundantly clear that successful treatment of hypertension requires a change in the patient's mindset, not a revolutionary breakthrough in medical care. The American Heart Association recently wrote new guidelines that lower the goal for blood pressure treatment to 130/80 for most patients. The first step is an honest assessment of diet and exercise to prevent overweight or obesity. If blood pressure remains high despite these measures, medication and laboratory tests to look for other related conditions are ordered. Doctors have step-by-step instructions to follow, usually prescribing diuretics first, followed by lisinopril, an ARB, or a calcium channel blocker such as amlodipine. Eventually, ...