RESUMEN
The choice of medicines is a key point in the treatment of hypertension.There are hundreds of antihypertensive drugs in China,including Traditional Chinese Medicines(TCM),chemical medicines and all kinds of compound preparation.But the rates of treatment and control of hypertension in China are very low,the situation of hypertension management in China is critical.In this article we compared the differences in the drug treatment among Chinese,American and European guidelines for the management of hypertension,and discussed the principles of choosing antihypertensive drugs.Chinese,American and European guidelines all mention that the specific drug classes may differ in some effect or in special groups of patients,so certain compelling indication requires certain antihypertensive drug classes.Three guidelines also emphasize the benefits obtained from the combination therapy and recommend the long-acting drugs or preparations with 24 h efficacy.The main differences among the three guidelines is whether to recommend the firstline drugs.Thiazide-type diuretics are recommended by American guideline(JNC7) in drug treatment for most patients with uncomplicated hypertension.But the European and Chinese guidelines do not recommend the first-line drugs,and the major classes of antihypertensive agents are suitable for the initiation and maintenance of therapy.Traditional Chinese medicines are invaluable resource of China,all kinds of antihypertensive TCM are widely used in the clinical,but owing to the deficiency of the high-quality evidence for TCM,the part of TCM is not included in the 2004 Chinese guideline for the management of hypertension.The choice of antihypertensive drugs is determined by its efficacy and safety.When safety and efficacy are equal,the lowest cost drug should be preferred.For the majority of patients without a compelling indication for another class of drug,a low dose of thiazides diuretic should be considered as the first choice in China.2004 Chinese guideline for the management of hypertension is based on many scientific evidences,and its publication is very important for the prevention and cure of hypertension in China.Nowadays,we must strengthen the dissemination and implementation of guideline,promote the rational use of antihypertensive drugs and improve the control rate of hypertensive in China.