Novel aspects of therapeutics in Blood Pressure: drug therapy supplements.

Access to effective and well-tolerated drugs is paramount to achieve effective management and control of hypertension. During recent years, we have seen an increased availability of well-performed studies relating to documentation of the efficacy and tolerability of various drug regiments in groups of hypertensive patients. One of the ambitions of Blood Pressure has been to put a priority in the publication of relevant clinical trials related to the therapeutic aspects of hypertension. Due to a lack of space in the journal, it has previously not been possible for us to fulfill this ambition and publish a major part of the contributions related to various aspects of antihypertensive drug therapy. Blood Pressure is therefore introducing a new type of supplement issue, where important contributions to therapeutic aspects of the management of hypertension are collected in one volume. The present issue of Blood Pressure is the first in a row of such supplements, containing papers related to the pharmacological management of hypertension. In this first issue, Blood Pressure Drug Therapy Supplement, Professor Per Lund-Johansen reviews the use of doxazosin GITS in patients with hypertension and BPH. The pharmacokinetic and effect profile of the new extended-release gastrointestinal therapeutics (GITS) formulation is reviewed, especially in terms of its improved tolerability compared to the standard doxazosin formulation. Furthermore, several aspects of dihydropyridine calcium antagonist treatment of hypertensive patients are presented. The group of Borghi et al describes the tolerability profile of the dihydropyridine calcium-channel blocker lercanidipine in comparison with a number of other clinically available calcium antagonists. Moreover, the effects of nifedipine on carotid and femoral arterial wall thickness is described by Terpstra and co-workers, and Kawano et al. describes the effect of a novel once a day nifedipine CR preparation in hypertensive patients, especially in relation to the morning surge. The efficacy of valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide combination therapy is reported in a large group of hypertensive patients who are inadequately controlled after monotherapy with the AT1 antagonist. Interestingly, Mallion et al. report a 70% responder rate in elderly patients on this fixed combination regimen. The editors of Blood Pressure are confident that the papers of this and future issues of Blood Pressure Drug Therapy Supplements will receive substantial interest from our readers, the scientific community and practicing physicians. Out ambition is to maintain this service to our readers and publish additional supplements at least on a twice-yearly basis.