The Pharmacology of Aliskiren, and its Safety and Efficacy in the Treatment of Hypertension
Kiandra Arnold
PHM 813, Summer 2015

Hypertension is a common condition in which blood pressure in the arteries is elevated. A number of conditions can cause blood pressure to spike, but in hypertension there is a chronic elevation of blood pressure. There are two types of hypertension; primarily (essential) and secondary hypertension. 90-95% of patients have essential hypertension, which is a form with no identifiable underlying cause. Essential hypertension can be treated with drugs in addition to lifestyle changes. The remaining 5-10% of hypertensive patients have secondary hypertension, that is caused by an indefinable underlying condition such as renal artery disease, thyroid disease, primary hyperaldosteronism, pregnancy etc. Patients with secondary hypertension are best treated with drugs that alleviate the underlying disease or condition, however they still may require antihypertensive drugs. This paper will focus on essential hypertension since it is more common ( Jackson 2015) .

Decreasing cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, or central venous pressure can reduce arterial pressure. Therefore, antihypertensive drugs either reduce blood volume(which reduces central venous pressure and cardiac output), reduce systemic vascular resistance, or reduce cardiac output by depressing heart rate and stroke volume. One particular class of anti-hypertensive drugs; angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors affect the renin-angiotensin system(RAS) and produces vasodilation by inhibiting the formation of angiotensin II. RAS plays a key role in blood pressure regulation , acting primarily via the effects of angiotensin II. Excessive RAS activity is a major underlying cause of hypertension because angiotensin II increases blood pressure and exerts