This handbook provides a complete state-of-the-art discussion of antihypertensive agents; it describes chemical, experimental and clinical pharmacological data as well as clinical experience with drugs which are presently being used or shortly to be introduced on the market. Each major class of antihypertensive drugs is treated exhaustively in separate chapters with full references, chemical formulae, and numerous figures and tables. The contributing authors are international experts well-known in their respective fields. New areas of drug development are extensively examined and give the reader excellent insight into the directions in which the drug market is moving. Two highlights are the special chapters devoted to toxicity testing of antihypertensive drugs and traditions of antihypertensive therapy on different continents. An extremely practical catalogue of antihypertensive drugs with international generic and trade names and cross-referencing is included at the end of the handbook. For the practicing physician, it is imperative to have up-to-date and full unbiased information not only on the classical first line drugs, but also on the many new drugs being developed at the present time. In this handbook he will be able to obtain background information as well as practical advice for therapy with respect to differential therapy, side effects, combination of drugs and counterindications. The experimental pharmacologist will find detailed chemical and experimental information and complete references.