Dr. Samuel Mann
Dr. Samuel J. Mann, Professor of Clinical Medicine, Division of Nephrology & Hypertension, recently published a new book with Rowman & Littlefield. "Hypertension and You: Old Drugs, New Drugs and the Right Drugs for Your High Blood Pressure" tells patients, in accessible language, the pros and cons of currently prescribed blood pressure medications. Drawing on 30 years of clinical and research experience, he gives readers information so that they can talk to their physician to be sure they are on the medications that are right for them, with the goals of controlling their hypertension, avoiding side effects, and keeping prescription costs down.
For patients coping with high blood pressure, clinical care can often be confusing. There are currently dozens of blood pressure medications on the market. "There are a lot of terrific blood pressure medications," Dr. Mann notes, "but they are not being prescribed as well as they could be."
Getting the medications right is important – inadequately controlled hypertension increases the risk of stroke and heart attack. The wrong medication also leads to avoidable side effects and higher drug costs than necessary. Ensuring that patients are taking the drugs that are right for them maximizes the chance of achieving blood pressure control, while reducing the need for a third or fourth drug. Dr. Mann's book seeks to give hypertension patients the information they need to be sure they and their physicians are pursuing the treatment that is right for them. "We can't treat every patient with the same drugs," Dr. Mann observes. "Different patients need different drugs to match the mechanisms underlying their hypertension."
Dr. Mann's book gives patients the information they need to talk with their doctors about their prescriptions. Going beyond the usual information popular hypertension books often cover, he describes the three mechanisms that cause hypertension and the drugs best suited to address them. He describes widely overlooked clues that can help in selection of the right medication. Dr. Mann also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the wide variety of drugs on the market, how best to choose among them, and how to find the right doses and combinations.
For more information on Dr. Mann's book, please visit Rowman & Littlefield.