Clinician's Manual Treatment of Hypertension

Franz H Messerli, MD, FACC, FACP, is Director of the Hypertension Program, Division of Cardiology at St Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital and Professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, NY, USA. Dr Messerli is the author and co-author of more than 700 publications and book chapters. He has served on the Cardiorenal Advisory Committee of the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and Joint National Committee. He is a member of several editorial boards, and has received various awards and degrees for his scientific activity. He is also a Founding Member of the American Society of Hypertension; an Honorary Member of the Southern African Hypertension Society; and an Honorary Fellow or Member of the Philippine College of Physicians, the Brazilian Society of Cardiology, the Bulgarian Society of Cardiology, the Peruvian Society of Cardiology, and the Columbian Society of Cardiology.

Definition of hypertension.- The J curve.- Drug therapy or lifestyle modification?.- First-line antihypertensive therapy: the simplistic viewpoint.- Hypertension as a gateway to cardiovascular risk modification.- To twofer or not to twofer.- When initial therapy is insufficient - To up titrate, to substitute, or to combine?.- How aggressively should blood pressure be lowered?.- Evidence-based versus eminence-based therapy.- Combination therapy.- Comorbid conditions.- Therapeutic challenges.- Fashions and fads.