DRUG THERAPY OF HYPERTENSION.

Drug therapy can lower the blood pressure levels of most hypertensive patients. The agents now in use are usually better tolerated and more effective than many of those available a few years ago. It seems probable that there is a close relationship between the elevated blood pressure and the increased mortality rate of hypertensive persons and that a significant lowering of this pressure would result in a decrease in mortality. In a pertinent study, the average pre-treatment blood pressure of a group of 76 patients with moderate to severe hypertension was 198/119 mm. of mercury in the prone position and 192/118 in the standing position. The patients were treated for a two-year period and with treatment their average pressure over a nine-month period was 164/99 mm. prone and 142/94 mm. standing. Many drugs used for the treatment of high blood pressure have more effect on the lowering of this pressure when the patient is in the standing position. For this reason, the blood pressure, while the patient is standing, should be used as the guide for dosage of these drugs.