The 1980s: a patient-specific therapeutic approach in hypertension.

The conventional "stepped-care" approach to the treatment of hypertension deserves revision. Rational therapy considers a variety of factors to obtain maximum efficacy, safety, tolerability, compliance, and neutralization of neural tone for the prevention of sudden death. The patient's age, gender, race, behavior profile, hemodynamic and neurohumoral status (plasma renin activity, norepinephrine/epinephrine ratio), and quality of life will help determine the choice of antihypertensive agent. Concomitant risk factors (smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia), the presence of sequelae (left ventricular hypertrophy and/or failure, renal failure), and the existence of other disorders (mitral valve prolapse, depression, anxiety) must also be considered when initiating treatment. In addition, the cost of ancillary expenses (laboratory tests, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits) must be weighed against the potential benefits of therapy. Beta blockers are effective, well tolerated, and versatile for the treatment of concomitant cardiovascular disorders and as behavior modifiers. Calcium channel blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors also show promise and merit consideration as therapy for specific groups of hypertensive patients.