Thiazide diuretics were discovered in the 1950s and the first clinical trial of hypertension treatment took place in the 1960s. Despite the widespread availability of generic antihypertensive drugs and dissemination of practice guidelines, hypertension continues to be a major cause of global morbidity and mortality. Hypertension is on the rise around the world in the presence of an aging population that consumes more salt, has gained more weight, become more sedentary and is increasingly stressed. One in four Canadians has hypertension and 90% will develop hypertension over their lifetime. During the COVID-19 pandemic, preventive healthcare took a back seat as access to health care was limited and has resulted in a significant decrease in rates of hypertension control and an increase and its complications.

Has the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension changed?