Hypertension is one of the most common causes of death and disability.
To recognise treatment regimens To be aware of lifestyle influences Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death and disability and hypertension is the leading cause of mortality in the world, after malnutrition and tobacco use. It is responsible for an estimated 5.8 per cent of all deaths. Nowadays, the availability of effective antihypertensive agents has brought about a significant reduction in cardiovascular events. Nevertheless, it is thought that only a minority of patients being treated with drugs for hypertensive disease are satisfactorily controlled. The main problems appear to be side effects and non-compliance.