Therapeutic alternatives in hypertension.

rfhe traditional therapeutic approach to essential diastolic hypertension consists of adjunctive measures (ie, dietary salt restriction, weight reduction, elimination of smoking and anxiety factors) plus antihypertensive drug regimens. Contrariwise, the management of secondary hypertension customarily centers on the direct approach to the underlying disorder, whenever possible (eg, renal revascularization or surgical excision of pheochromocytoma). During the past decade, however, it has become increasingly apparent that alternative therapies are sometimes feasible, occasionally with dramatic beneficial results.