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Combination Therapy in Hypertension Treatment

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Managing the Kidney when the Heart is Failing

Abstract

Hypertension guidelines have recommended to lower blood pressures to at least 140/90 mmHg to prevent cardiovascular diseases. However, initiating monotherapy to hypertensive patients, especially with difficult-to-treat hypertension, fails to lower blood pressure to the desired goal. The formulation of single-pill combinations or fixed-dose combinations has made therapeutic management of hypertension less complicated. They have the same efficacy as the single agent, allow patient adherence, and at the same time lower the side effects if maximum doses of the single agent are given. However, cost still remains an issue since most of these drugs are not generic. In the future, there will be triple combination pills and even the polypill which show promise in the management of hypertension.

Originally published in Bakris, The Kidney in Heart Failure, ISBN: 978-1-4614-3693-5

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Oliva, R.V., Bakris, G.L. (2012). Combination Therapy in Hypertension Treatment. In: Bakris, G. (eds) Managing the Kidney when the Heart is Failing. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3691-1_5

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