Initial Treatment of Hypertension

This Harvard Medical School Continuing Education video examines these key questions: Does a diagnosis of hypertension always necessitate pharmacological intervention? What nonpharmalogical interventions are available? Who can benefit from medications to lower blood pressure?

Dr. Michael Honigberg, MD, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, reviews evidence-based nonpharmacological approaches to hypertension treatment, such as diet and exercise interventions. Drawing from the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline recommendations for pharmacotherapy, he outlines how to determine whether a patient is a suitable candidate for antihypertensive medications, and how to prescribe them.

This video was peer reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Salik, TMD, MHPEd, Instructor of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; and Dr. Sugantha Sundar, MD, Assistant Professor of Anesthesia, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, to validate the quality and accuracy of the content.

00:00 | Introduction
00:43 | Non-pharmacological interventions to lower blood pressure
03:46 | Determining for whom pharmacotherapy is indicated
05:01 | Prescribing guideline-recommended anti-hypertensive medications

References:
GBD 2018 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators. Global Burden of Disease Study, Lancet. 2018;392(10159):1683-2138.

Notice: At this time, the content in this video is not accredited.