Effective treatment of hypertension with permanent achievement of normal blood pressure readings is the most effective prevention of organ manifestations of hypertension. Treatment must, however, affect also other risk factors, in particular hyperlipoproteinaemia, smoking and diabetes. Treatment of hypertension is individually adjusted and depends on: a) age, b) the presence of complications of hypertension and c) the presence of associated diseases. In elderly hypertensive patients small doses of diuretics and beta-blockers are the drugs of choice. The most frequent complication of hypertension is hypertrophy of the heart and IHD. The drug of choice in patients with IHD, and in particular in patients after myocardial infarction, are beta-blockers, in patients with cardiac hypertrophy which substantially influences the prognosis in an adverse way ACE inhibitors are recommended. In patients with cardiac failure as well as in patients with asymptomatic dysfunction of the left ventricle the drugs of choice are ACE inhibitors. The author indicates therapeutic approaches used in the most frequent associated diseases--diabetes and hyperlipoproteinaemia.

Keywords: Cardiomegaly /etiology/; Cardiovascular Diseases /etiology/; Coronary Disease /etiology/; Humans; Hypertension /complications/