THE THERAPEUTIC APPROACH TO THE CONTROL OF HYPERTENSION - ITS IMPACT ON HEALTH-POLICY

The pharmacologic approach to the control of hypertension must conside r both the clinical perspective and the Public Health approach policy in which social costs have to be balanced against benefits to the enti re population. Cost-effectiveness analysis are at the core of decision s taken within this frame of reference. The issue of cost-effectivenes s of preventive and therapeutic measures are crucial in the case of le ss developed countries. An analysis of studies undertaken in Mexico le ads to the conclusion that, from a Public Health perspective, a progra m for the control of hypertension with a strong emphasis on drug thera py is likely to require a significant proportion of the health budget. Therefore, more emphasis must be placed on primary prevention based o n modifications of life style.