Hypertension, ed 2

The publication of a second edition of a major textbook on hypertension after an interval of five years provides an excellent opportunity to review the progress that has been made in our understanding of its mechanisms and treatments. In fact, this is basically a new book. Like most comprehensive textbooks, it has multiple authors, and the editors have assembled an impressive international cast of experts. It is in effect two books: the first half deals with the experimental and physiologic aspects of hypertension; the second, deals with the clinical aspects. Each half is divided into sections.

One of the persistent themes running throughout this book is the complexity of hypertension. The number of physiological mechanisms that have been identified as having a role in BP regulation continues to grow, and all of them seem to show some qualitative or quantitative change in both experimental and human hypertension. These are all