Combination Antihypertensives

A new study suggests that combinations of medications for high blood pressure should be started right away.

High blood pressure has always been treated in a stepwise fashion. Patients newly diagnosed with hypertension are given one medication to see if the blood pressure can be lowered adequately. If that is not enough, additional medications are added. There are many classes of antihypertensives for a doctor to choose from, including diuretics, ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and several others.

However, a new study called ACCOMPLISH (Avoiding Cardiovascular Events through Combination Therapy in Patients Living with Systolic Hypertension) reports that antihypertensives in combination reduce blood pressure dramatically, suggesting that they are beneficial from the start. In other words, doctors may soon prescribe at last two antihypertensives or a combination antihypertensive pill for a patient newly diagnosed with hypertension. They may not need to wait to see if additional medications should be added. However, the drug company Novartis sponsored this study. so whether this study has any merit may be debated.

One thing may still hold true: the sooner you take care of your blood pressure, the better off you'll be.