Antihypertensive drugs and central blood pressure.

Recent evidence suggests that central blood pressure is a more important determinant of cardiovascular risk than brachial pressure. Interestingly, antihypertensive drugs exert different effects on brachial and central pressure. Traditional beta-blockers, such as atenolol, appear to have an adverse impact on central pressure, despite lowering brachial pressure. This may help to explain the results of recent large outcome studies using atenolol. Further research is required to clarify whether other antihypertensive agents lower central pressure beyond the effects observed on brachial pressure.