Burning issues in blood pressure control

  • James A Ker University of Pretoria
  • Kim Outhoff University of Pretoria
Keywords: blood pressure, hypertension, single pill combination, early blood pressure control, treatment persistence, legacy effects of rapid control

Abstract

Globally more than 1 billion people have hypertension and it is predicted that because of ageing populations and increasing sedentary lifestyles, this figure will rise to about 1.5 billion by 2025. Elevated blood pressure (BP) is the leading cause of premature death and morbidity due to stroke and ischemic heart disease. Hypertension is also a major risk factor for heart failure, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, peripheral arterial disease and cognitive decline. This article discusses the current evidence-based treatment guidelines and pressing temporal issues in optimal blood pressure control.

Author Biographies

James A Ker, University of Pretoria

Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Kim Outhoff, University of Pretoria

Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Published
2019-02-20
Issue
Vol 61 No 2: March/April 2019
Section
Review Articles
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