Hypertension Treatment

Overview

Treatment for hypertension at Massachusetts General Hospital is a specialized medical service for patients who have elevated blood pressure. Specialists evaluate newly diagnosed patients who have not yet been treated, patients who have already been diagnosed but have trouble controlling their high blood pressure, and patients who have not tolerated traditional therapy. These patients may refer themselves to the service or be referred by their primary care physician or specialist.

The treatment regimen might include anti-hypertensive drug therapy and lifestyle modifications such as exercise, weight loss, diet modification, smoking cessation and stress reduction. Many patients also have other conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, cardiac arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, angina pectoris or other disorders that might affect the treatment regimen. Specialists are able to treat these patients with individualized therapies that control blood pressure elevation without side effects or disrupting their lifestyles.

Our services also maintain a close relationship with the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine and use their program for stress management and relaxation response services that facilitate blood pressure control.

Resistant Hypertension Program

The Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, in collaboration with the Nephrology and Endocrinology divisions, offers a Resistant Hypertension Program that specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis and management of patients with resistant or difficult-to-treat hypertension. The American Heart Association defines resistant hypertension as blood pressure that remains above goal despite the use of three antihypertensive agents in full dose, one of which is a diuretic. Patients with resistant hypertension are at high risk for cardiovascular, brain and kidney complications. The Mass General Resistant Hypertension Program provides a multidisciplinary approach to care, including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic approaches to blood pressure control as well as interventional options. Services offered include:

• Treatment of resistant hypertension
• 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (via the Endocrinology and/or Nephrology Divisions)
• Diagnosis and management of secondary hypertension, including renovascular hypertension
• Evaluation of difficult-to-treat hypertension in the context of cardiovascular disease
• Evaluation and management of secondary hypertension related to endocrine diseases
• Evaluation and management of secondary hypertension related to renal diseases
• Non-drug (pharmacologic) therapy including training in the relaxation response (in collaboration with the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine)
• Renal denervation, an invasive technique to control hypertension
• Diagnosis and management of renal vascular hypertension
• Seamless care with referring physicians

Research & Clinical Trials

Hypertension specialists are involved in numerous clinical research protocols for patients with high blood pressure, as well as high cholesterol, diabetes, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction (heart attack) and atrial fibrillation. Patients benefit from our involvement in innovative research because they have access to the latest therapies and treatment information.

We are currently seeking participants for the following clinical trials:

• TARGET BP | Clinical Trial (Target BP1)
  Research point of contact: Lina Fu, RN
  Participating investigators:
  • Dr. Joseph Garasic, co-principal investigator
  • Dr. Rahul Sakhuja
  • Dr. Randy Zusman

Second Opinions

Our physicians welcome second opinion appointments to review cases and proposed lines of treatment.

Learn more

Related Articles

• Using Renal Denervation to Treat Hypertension
• Proving Efficacy of Two Non-Drug Therapies for Hypertension