Time to reconsider the way of selecting antihypertensives for hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy.

INTRODUCTION

Hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy (HTN LVH) is a highly prevalent high-risk condition, and the recommendations for HTN LVH treatment are essentially unchanged for several decades.

AREAS COVERED

The current therapeutic approach to HTN LVH is to choose antihypertensive drugs according to their ability to reverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling. On the other hand, for the majority arterial hypertension (HTN) patients we should start treatment with a combination of different antihypertensive drugs. Therefore, the goal of antihypertensive treatment of HTN LVH should be adapted to the current recommendation in other parts of guidelines. The recommendation we need is not only which individual drug, but rather which combination of two antihypertensive agents is optimal for reversed LV remodeling.

EXPERT OPINION

In this paper, we pointed out that treatment recommendation for HTN LVH can be updated in a similar way as therapy for the whole HTN population - by recommending a combination of two or three antihypertensives in a single pill. Clinicians should be directly advised what is the first- and what the second-line combination of antihypertensives for HTN LVH in evidence-based medicine. Therefore, we suggest that combination treatment should be studied, compared and then recommended also for very prevalent higher-risk HTN LVH patients.