Reconsidering antihypertensive choice

Abstract

No matter how carefully a choice of a P-drug list is made for many given condition,it remains open to reconsideration whenever any of the factors used to weigh the choice of medicines for the list changes. The most easily accommodated changes are perhaps those related to cost, as this is usually considered last, and weighted as least important. Profound changes in the evidence base for efficacy and/or safety are less common, and require more careful handling. This is certainly the case with the choice of medicines to treat hypertension, and particularly to treat this condition in elderly patients who might also present with co-morbid conditions. For many family practices, such patients would represent the majority of hypertensives under treatment.