Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract

Antihypertensive drug treatment has been shown to significantly decrease cardiovascular morbidity and mortality rates in hypertensive subjects and to reduce the occurrence of major hypertension-related complications, such as stroke, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure and renal insufficiency. Despite these favorable effects, several issues related to antihypertensive treatment remain to be clarified. This paper will discuss some of these issues, with particular reference to the effects of blood pressure lowering on renal diseases and coronary heart disease. It will also discuss the ongoing clinical trials aimed at clarifying some unsolved issues of antihypertensive treatment. The objective of the International Nifedipine GITS Study Intervention as a Goal in Hypertensive Treatment was to provide information on the effects of calcium antagonist treatment on high blood pressure values and on hypertension-related cardiovascular complications in a high-risk hypertensive population.

Effects of Eplerenone, Enalapril, and Eplerenone/Enalapril in Patients With Essential Hypertension and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy

“…Mancia et al 28 reported that patients with essential hypertension whose BP is adequately controlled (eg, Ͻ140/ 90 mm Hg) with antihypertensive medication have a 20% incidence of LVH compared with normotensive individuals. These results reinforce the need for better control of BP and of target-organ damage.…”

The Therapeutic Potential of Epigenome-Modifying Drugs in Cardiometabolic Disease

“…The burden of cardiometabolic disease is growing globally [1], and further significant improvements are needed in early prevention, prediction and detection to avoid the disease-related mortality and morbidity [2]. During the past two decades, the study of genomic variation has been highly successful in establishing the field of personalised medicine.…”