Hypertension: history and development of established and novel treatments

Abstract

Background This article summarizes the emerging field of hypertension over the last decades. It covers paradigm shifts on hypertension from an undefined cardiovascular condition to the most relevant cardiovascular modifiable risk factor and the developments of drug treatments and interventional treatments to improve cardiovascular outcomes. Methods We performed a selective literature research in PubMed on trials published in the past until 2018 without time restrictions and covered unpublished trials disclosed in ClinicalTrials.org. Results The development of treatments of hypertension is a success story covering many decades from the early attempts with drug treatments, development of tolerable and effective medications to interventional techniques involving renal denervation, AV fistulas, and autonomic devices. Novel guidelines define new definitions and treatment targets of hypertension, which are a matter of ongoing discussion. Conclusion Despite the development of tolerable and effective drugs, new treatments in the field of neuroendocrine modulation by drugs and devices are still under development trying to further improve treatment of patients with hypertension and to further reduce cardiovascular events in those individuals.