THE MANAGEMENT OF HYPERTENSION AND ASSOCIATED RISK-FACTORS FOR THE PREVENTION OF LONG-TERM CARDIAC COMPLICATIONS

The management of essential hypertension can no longer be directed tow ard an isolated reduction in arterial pressure. Optimal reduction in t he risk factors associated with hypertension and cardiovascular diseas e hopefully will reduce coronary heart disease, angina, fatal and nonf atal myocardial infarction, left ventricular hypertrophy, congestive h eart failure, and sudden death. Hypertension is a genetic and acquired syndrome that consists of dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and carboh ydrate intolerance, central obesity, renal abnormalities, structural a bnormalities of smooth muscle, and ion transport abnormalities (membra nopathy). The selection of pharmacologic agents should improve the com ponents of the hypertensive syndrome by utilizing the ''subsets of hyp ertension approach'' to treatment.