Analysis of Recent Papers in Hypertension.

The article comments on the study "Prevention of Cardiovascular Events With an Antihypertensive Regimen of Amlodipine Adding Perindopril as Required Versus Atenolol Adding Bendroflumethiazide as Required, in the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial-Blood Pressure Lowering Arm: A Multicentre Randomised Controlled Trial," by B. Dahlof, P. S. Sever, N. R. Poulter and colleagues. It explains that the trial suggests that atenolol is not an acceptable therapy for the treatment hypertension. Further, it suggests that a strategy using a calcium channel blockers is more effective than the β-blocker atenolol. It argues that the trial was not a trial of combination agent therapy and should not be interpreted as such. It also states the blood pressure in the trial was poorly controlled.