Treating hypertension. A review of clinical trials.

Extensive clinical trials have been carried out to test the effectiveness of antihypertensive therapy in controlling high blood pressure and in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension and related cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. These trials have studied more than 40,000 individuals in programs worldwide. Although they answered many important questions, some of these trials have failed to produce conclusive results concerning certain issues, such as the results of treatment on coronary artery disease. The medical community has come to rely on clinical trials in evaluating the treatment of many different chronic diseases, and this methodology has become the accepted means of evaluating therapy. Analyses of the clinical trials on hypertension and their implications should review factors other than fatal and non-fatal end points if their results are to be useful for the practicing physician in making treatment decisions.