#436 Which Blood Pressure Drugs Are Best?

A large government-sponsored study has shown that old-fashioned inexpensive diuretics work at least as well as the newer medications drug companies promote so aggressively. Even more shocking, the cholesterol-lowering drug Pravachol did not demonstrate superiority over “usual care” when it comes to saving lives. Can we trust drug company research? This year the government funded Women’s Health Initiative overturned decades of pharmaceutical research suggestive that HRT could protect women from heart disease. We delve into the best approaches for hypertension treatment and the ethics of research with two distinguished guests. Curt Furberg, MD, PhD, is an internationally respected expert in the field of epidemiology and public health. He chaired the steering committee for the ALLHAT trial on hypertension. He is Professor of Public Health Sciences at Wake Forest University. Robert Califf, MD, is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute.