Benefits of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition and angiotensin II receptor antagonists in hypertension.

It is through blood pressure lowering that reductions in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are achieved. The treatment of hypertension patients should also focus on prevention and management of cardiovascular complications, not merely on achieving a target level of blood pressure. In making treatment decisions it is appropriate to assess patients for the presence or absence of risk factors and/or clinical cardiovascular disease. Clinicians should strive to use the least intrusive means possible to achieve goal blood pressure and the treatment regiment should be individualized for each patient. The review has illustrated specific clinical conditions where the use of an hypertensive agent that inhibits the renin-angiotensin system may offer added benefit to the patient while producing the needed anti-hypertensive effects.