Personalized hypertension management

Abstract

Although the "stepped-care" approach to the management of hypertension has been useful, newer recommendations suggest that therapy for the hypertensive patient take into consideration the presence of other illness, race, compliance, cost, and the use of non-pharmacologic techniques. Thiazide diuretics and β-blockers remain the backbone of drug therapy, but other drugs can be considered as second-line choices or even monotherapy in certain situations. The authors review recent conferences held in the United States and Canada on the topic of individualizing antihypertensive therapy.