The treatment of primary hgpertension

I Atherosclerosis, first, and hypertension, second, constitute the most common therapeutic problems of our time, considerably outranking cancer in incidence. Whereas little progress has been made in reducing the mortality rate from atherosclerosis or cancer, deaths from hypertension have fallen significantly over the past fifteen years, and the favorable trend is continuing. Antihypertensive drugs were developed during the 1950s and it is tempting to ascribe these encouraging trends in mortality to advances in specific therapy. However, it must be recognized that mortality figures may change as a result of other factors, and it is, therefore, prudent to seek out additional supporting evidence.