RECENT ADVANCES IN ANTIHYPERTENSIVE THERAPY

There are multiple different approaches that have been adopted in the past to cure hypertension. Hypertension is a multifactorial disease fr equently associated with other cardiovascular problems. None of the an tihypertensive drugs available can cure all cases of hypertension. Thi s situation causes a unique scenario in this area of therapeutic resea rch: less recent approaches, which make use of drugs acting on the adr energic system, diuretics, calcium antagonists, nitro-vasodilators and so on, have not yet been abandoned, while new compounds are still bei ng developed today. Newly acquired and more detailed knowledge of the renin-angiotensin system, of the role of the endothelium and ionic cha nnels in the homeostasis of blood pressure has opened up new lines of study. There are also a number of experimental compounds targeted for other action mechanisms (phosphodiesterase inhibitors, neuropeptide Y antagonists, ouabain-like factor antagonists), that could also represe nt innovative approaches to hypertension therapy. Some hints regarding the current developments in the well established and innovative categ ories of antihypertensives will be given in this review.