Drug treatment for hypertension

  When lifestyle improvements are not effective in controlling blood pressure, doctors will prescribe medications to patients. Medications are by far the most effective treatment for high blood pressure. Anti-hypertensive medications are usually taken for a long time, and most patients will take them for life.  The general principles of drug therapy are to lower blood pressure steadily and to provide long-term, continuous treatment. Start with a low dose and gradually increase the dose. A combination of two drugs at low doses is better than a single drug at high doses. Do not stop or withdraw the medication suddenly. The drug should be easy to take.  The principles of choosing antihypertensive drugs are: good antihypertensive effect, 24-hour stable antihypertensive, once a day, convenient for patients to take, little side effects, easy for patients to adhere to, and can protect patients’ heart, brain, kidney and other target organs.  First-line antihypertensive drugs recommended by the World Health Organization 1. diuretics; 2. calcium antagonists (“diphenhydramine” class); 3. angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (“priligy” class); 4. angiotensin II receptor blockers ( “5. b-blockers (“Lor” class); 6. compound preparations (e.g. Hedzia (Crosartan/hydrochlorothiazide)).  Misconceptions in the treatment of hypertension 1. estimate the level of blood pressure by self-perception; 2. stop the medication as soon as the blood pressure drops; 3. lower the blood pressure too fast and too low; 4. set the drug trade-off by the price of drugs.