Hypertension therapy: current and future strategies.

Arterial hypertension is one of the three major cardiovascular risk factors and the most common chronic disorder to cause death. The treatment of hypertension, especially moderate and severe cases, produces a marked reduction in cerebrovascular and coronary mortality and morbidity. Several trials, however, have shown that there is no benefit to be gained from treating mild hypertension (diastolic blood pressure 90-104 mmHg) because the unwanted side-effects of antihypertensive drugs outweigh their potential advantages. For this reason, it is important to continue pharmacological research to find new antihypertensive drugs and to develop further classical agents, such as the beta-blockers, which reduce ventricular hypertrophy and prevent coronary mortality in secondary prevention regimes.