The inclusion of women in clinical trials of antihypertensive medications: a review of twenty-four trials in one pharmacology journal.

Historically the inclusion of women in clinical trials of medications has been limited. To ascertain the inclusion of women in clinical trials of antihypertensive medications, an integrative review of 24 articles was undertaken. The articles were chosen from a representative journal of pharmacology from the years 1992 to 1993. Pharmacology journals frequently are the journal in which clinical trials of medications are published. All trials of antihypertensive medications in this journal from the years 1992 and 1993 were included. Analysis is made of inclusion and exclusion criteria, inclusion rates of women (22.4%), and the inclusion of the elderly and minority groups. Based on this review and others it is difficult to recommend generalization of antihypertensive medication guidelines to women on the basis of clinical trials that include few women.