Thiazides, beta blockers and lipoproteins

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Abstract
Summary: Beta blockers and thiazide diuretics are the most commonly used agents in the treatment of hypertension because of their efficacy and lack of side effects. It is hoped that by lowering blood pressure with these drugs the medium and long-term risk of coronary heart disease is reduced. The Veterans Administration Cooperative Group (1970) provided clear evidence of an effect on cerebrovascular disease morbidity and mortality, but a decrease in cardiac events was not proven. More recently, encouraging evidence of such a reduction in coronary heart disease mortality has been reported by the Hypertension Detection and Follow-up Program Cooperative Group (1979a, b). However, the authors considered that the data for cause of death were too unreliable to permit conclusions to be drawn. It therefore seems that therapy of hypertension is more effective in reducing cerebrovascular disease than coronary heart disease.