New Hypertension Guidance Expected to Simplify Treatment

New hypertension guidelines outline nine specific recommendations for initiating and modifying pharmacotherapy for patients with elevated blood pressure and are expected to simplify the treatment of hypertension. The guidelines help address the concerns of physicians who care for a large number of elderly patients by minimizing the potential for harm caused by the overtreatment of blood pressure, which may result in increased risks of falls and injuries. Additionally, physicians may be surprised to learn that beta blockers, which are often considered a tried-and-true medication for treating high blood pressure, have been pushed down to the second tier of desirable drugs to use.