Treatment of Arterial Hypertension — Past and Present

Abstract

During last 25 years a great progress in the treatment of arterial hypertension has been made. The aim of the new strategy is not only the effective lowering of blood pressure, but also normalization of structure and function of the cardiovascular system, as well as correction of coexisting risk factors. The introduction of new generations of drugs improved significantly the antihypertensive therapy. The importance of systolic blood pressure, especially in older patients with isolated systolic hypertension, as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease is becoming increasingly recognized. The article summarizes briefly the new developments in the field of treatment and prevention of arterial hypertension.