Pharmacological Management of Primary Arterial Hypertension: A Century of Expert Opinions in Cecil Textbook of Medicine.

Background: Advances in drug therapy for primary (or essential) arterial hypertension have contributed to a significant decrease in the frequency and severity of strokes, coronary artery disease and heart failure, and chronic renal insufficiency.

Study Question: What are the milestones of the changes in the expert approach to the pharmacological management of arterial hypertension in the past century?

Study Design: To determine the changes in the experts' approach to the management of arterial hypertension, as presented in a widely used textbook in the United States.

Data Sources: The chapters presenting the management of arterial hypertension in the 26 editions of Cecil Textbook of Medicine published from 1927 through 2020.