Management of hypertension in patients with coronary artery disease

Hypertension is the most prevalent and significant modifiable risk factor in individuals with concomitant coronary artery disease. The number of individuals with hypertension is substantially increasing every year. It has been shown in several studies that it is imperative to effectively control blood pressure in order to reduce the risk of adverse cardiovascular events. There are many classes of medications that can help control blood pressure in individuals with hypertension and coronary artery disease. The management of blood pressure in this high-risk population continues to be a challenge, especially as more people survive myocardial infarctions and the prevalence of disease such as diabetes mellitus increases as the population continues to age. In this article, we will review the different therapeutic antihypertensive agents recommended by the different societies on hypertension including the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, and the challenges faced in special cases of resistant hypertension. © 2011 Expert Reviews Ltd