Changes in prescribing patterns following publication of the ALLHAT trial

Antihypertensive agents are among the most commonly prescribed medications for elderly persons in North America. The Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT), published on December 18, 2002, concluded that thiazide-type diuretics should be the first-step antihypertensive therapy, compared with either calcium channel blockers (CCBs) or angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. We examined trends in incident use of antihypertensive agents following publication of the ALLHAT trial.