Revue médicale suisse
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Revue médicale suisse · Sep 2007
Review[Antihypertensive therapy according to the ESH/ESC guidelines].
The guidelines of the European society of hypertension and the European society of cardiology have been updated. With regard to antihypertensive treatment, diuretics, beta-blockers, calcium antagonists, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II antagonists are still considered as first line options. Treatment may also be initiated using a fixed dose combination containing two agents lowering blood pressure by different mechanisms. This is particularly true in patients with systolic blood pressure > 160 mmHg and/ or diastolic blood pressure >90 mmHg, as well as in those with high cardiovascular risk.