Hypertension

Why deintensification of drug therapy could be beneficial for some patients

Intensive drug treatment for certain patients with comorbidities can sometimes do more harm than good.…

Electronic repeat dispensing service at heart of PSNC’s proposals for clinically focused pharmacy service

An electronic repeat dispensing service for people with long-term conditions should become routine for community pharmacists in England, according to proposals for a more clinically led profession drawn up by national negotiators.…

Why sprinting to change clinical practice guidelines on blood pressure treatment is premature

Caution is required when the media reports on high profile medical studies.…

Evidence mounts on benefits of lowering threshold for use of antihypertensives

All patients at high risk of heart disease including those with normal blood pressure should be considered eligible for blood pressure-lowering drugs, new research suggests.…

Lowering blood pressure targets cuts cardiovascular disease deaths

Study shows treatment using lower blood pressure targets reduces chance of cardiovascular death by 43%.…

Intensive lowering of blood pressure cuts heart attacks and strokes, review says

Intensive blood pressure reduction is more beneficial for patients than less intensive BP reduction, concludes a review published in The Lancet.…

Lowering target systolic blood pressure to 120mmHg could reduce rates of cardiovascular disease

A target systolic blood pressure of 120mmHg — rather than 140mmHg — reduces rates of cardiovascular disease and risk of death in hypertensive patients aged 50 years and over, a study shows.…

Researchers boost hypertension treatment using unconventional approach

Using approved drugs in unconventional ways could help improve compliance in patients with hypertension, according to a study in The Journal of Clinical Hypertension.…

Scotland brings in medicine card to avoid kidney injury after dehydration

Pocket-sized patient information cards that warn patients to temporarily stop taking specific medicines if they have a dehydrating illness are being introduced across Scotland.…

Pharmacist prescribers improve blood pressure in hypertensive patients

In a randomised controlled trial, pharmacist-managed patients were twice as likely to achieve their target blood pressure as control patients.…