Medicines for hypertension: changes to the UK NICE guidelines.

New NICE guidance on the use of medicines for hypertension, published in June 2006, will prompt a major review of treatment for those already receiving medication and also sets out a new treatment pathway for the newly diagnosed. The major change in the guidelines is in the status of beta blockers, which are no longer to be used as a routine treatment for hypertension. The guidelines provide a consensus on treatment, and nurses and their patients now have a clear and straightforward algorithm to follow. It is envisaged that these changes to the way medicines are prescribed for hypertension will have a significant impact on the number of people reaching their target blood pressure, and therefore the number of cardiovascular events occurring each year.