First-line low-dose thiazides reduce all morbidity and mortality outcomes .
First-line ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers may be similarly effective but the evidence is less robust .
First-line high-dose thiazides and first-line beta-blockers are inferior to first-line low-dose thiazides
BACKGROUND Sustained elevated blood pressure , unresponsive to lifestyle measures , leads to a critically important clinical question : What class of drug to use first-line ?
This review answers that question .
OBJECTIVES PRIMARY OBJECTIVE To quantify the benefits and harms of the major first-line anti-hypertensive drug classes : thiazides , beta-blockers , calcium channel blockers , angiotensin converting enzyme ( ACE ) inhibitors , alpha-blockers , and angiotensin II receptor blockers ( ARB ) .
Serum cholesterol levels and survival in elderly hypertensive patients: analysis of data from the European Working Party on High Blood Pressure in the Elderly.
The relation between serum cholesterol and mortality was investigated in 822 elderly hypertensive patients r and omly assigned to treatment with diuretics , with or without methyldopa , or placebo .  Cox 's proportional hazards model showed that pretreatment serum total cholesterol levels were independently and inversely correlated with total mortality ( p = 0.03 ) , noncardiovascular mortality ( p = 0.02 ) , and cancer mortality ( p = 0.04 ) during treatment . Total and noncardiovascular mortality were also negatively correlated with pretreatment hemoglobin levels and body weight . All factors being equal , an increase in total serum cholesterol of 2.3 mmol/L was associated with a one-year prolongation of survival . After adjustment for gender , age , pretreatment cardiovascular complications , and systolic pressure , the correlations between serum cholesterol and cardiovascular and cardiac mortality were not significant
First-line low-dose thiazides reduce all morbidity and mortality outcomes .
First-line ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers may be similarly effective but the evidence is less robust .
First-line high-dose thiazides and first-line beta-blockers are inferior to first-line low-dose thiazides
BACKGROUND Sustained elevated blood pressure , unresponsive to lifestyle measures , leads to a critically important clinical question : What class of drug to use first-line ?
This review answers that question .
OBJECTIVES PRIMARY OBJECTIVE To quantify the benefits and harms of the major first-line anti-hypertensive drug classes : thiazides , beta-blockers , calcium channel blockers , angiotensin converting enzyme ( ACE ) inhibitors , alpha-blockers , and angiotensin II receptor blockers ( ARB ) .