Clinical effectiveness of the transdermal route of antihypertensive treatment

Abstract

Although it is widely accepted that the treatment of severe hypertension reduces cardiovascular complications, it has only been appreciated recently that treating milder forms of hypertension may also reduce the risk of major cardiac events (Hypertension Detection and Followup Program 1979). There has been some concern that the use of certain drug treatment regimens might lead to a sub-optimal outcome (MRFIT Research Group 1982). Specifically, diuretic agents given to reduce blood pressure might also introduce metabolic risk factors and thereby produce disappointing results (Dollery, 1981). There has been recent interest in non-diuretic single-agent therapy as this approach is simple and potentially safer than diuretic-based therapy. A number of antihypertensive drugs, including beta-blockers and centrally-acting agents, have been shown to be effective in this context (Campese et al. 1980; Drayer et al. 1976; Walker et al. 1982).