There are several different drug types used in the management of hypertension. This back to basics provides a useful summary of the different antihypertensive drug classes and how they act to regulate blood pressure.
Back to Basics: Antihypertensives
Case study: The hypertensive patient
Working with patients who are not willing to engage fully with healthcare services is a common occurrence. The process requires patience and a focus on providing the patient with full information about their condition and then allowing them to make decisions about their treatment. Here, Dr Terry McCormack (GP and Cardiovascular Lead, North Yorks) describes the approach of his practice to a man with hypertension.
Advice for patients taking ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers and coronavirus infection
It has been suggested Hypertension (high blood pressure) may be associated with increased risk of death in hospitalised Coronavirus infected subjects. On non-medical social media sites and some newspapers it has been suggested that commonly used drugs ACEi (ending in ‘pril” e.g. ramipril, lisinopril, perindopril) and ARBs (ending in ‘sartan’ e.g. losartan, candesartan, valsartan) may […]
BHF blood pressure pilots: Changing the conversation about hypertension
As many as 16 million people in the UK are estimated to have hypertension, and around 7 million of these are undiagnosed. Of those diagnosed in England, one third are not receiving optimum management.
CVD risk factors: New evidence, new approaches?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Elevated blood pressure (BP) is the main global risk factor for premature morbidity and mortality, and the prevalence of hypertensive heart disease is not declining over time. Improved control of high BP is, therefore, fundamental to further prevention of CVD, and adoption of treatment guidelines can have a positive impact on BP-related outcomes.
Back to Basics: How antihypertensives work
This month’s Back to Basics focuses on the different drugs used in the management of hypertension. The wallchart provides a useful summary of the different antihypertensive drug classes and how they act to regulate blood pressure.
Hypertension: Case finding in primary care
Hypertension is the most important single risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). It affects over 25% of adults in England, but more than 5.5 million people remain undiagnosed. Although the number of adults with untreated hypertension has fallen, England’s performance still lags behind achievements in countries such as Canada and the USA, and there is scope for improvement.
Back to Basics: NICE hypertension care pathway
This useful wallchart gives at-a-glance advice on diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure in adults, based on the most recent hypertension guidelines from NICE.
The rule of halves no longer applies, but let’s not get complacent
The first Health Survey England (HSE) in 1994 revealed a ‘rule of halves’ since only half of people with hypertension were diagnosed, of which half were treated and of those, only half were controlled. Have matters improved over the more than 20 years since the first HSE survey?
Bradford’s Healthy Hearts: Live longer, better
In the first 15 months of its operation, Bradford’s Healthy Hearts campaign has significantly improved the cardiovascular health of local people, and saved an estimated £1.2 m for the clinical commissioning group.
Blood pressure: A call to action for primary care
Over the next 10 years, an estimated 45,000 quality-adjusted life-years and £850m health and social care costs could be saved, if England saw a 5 mmHg reduction in the average population systolic blood pressure. In addition, substantial reductions in death and disability could be achieved if there was a step change in our approach to detection and treatment of hypertension. This is the rationale behind the Blood Pressure Action Plan that was published recently.
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring: from guideline into practice
NICE now recommends that 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) rather than repeat clinic measurements should be the gold-standard test for diagnosing high blood pressure. This article considers the practicalities of using ABPM in the clinic, including advice to pass on to patients to ensure accurate readings.
