JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Meta Analysis
Health outcomes associated with antihypertensive therapies used as first-line agents. A systematic review and meta-analysis.
To review the scientific evidence concerning the safety and efficacy of various antihypertensive therapies used as first-line agents and evaluated in terms of major disease end points. ⋯ Until the results of large long-term clinical trials evaluating the effects of calcium channel blockers and ACE inhibitors on cardiovascular disease incidence are completed, the available scientific evidence provides strong support for the current national guidelines, which recommend diuretics and beta-blockers as firstline agents and low-dose therapy for all antihypertensive agents.