Between July 2012 and March 2014, the Department of Arterial Hypertension of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology prepared and published four documents addressing some specific aspects on hypertension care^–. Similarly, between July 2013 and January 2014, major international institutions also produced documents updating their guidelines regarding hypertension^–. Some of the Brazilian documents were published before the international ones, while others were published concurrently.

The first Brazilian document, published in 2012, addressed resistant arterial hypertension, and extensive review of the subject was performed based on evidence available at the time. In addition to definition, care with diagnosis and possible causes, there was a concern regarding that most cases are, in fact, pseudo-resistant cases, mainly caused by lack of adherence, while highlighting the importance of possible secondary hypertension. The document finally proposed treatment that included the classic and known – but almost always overlooked – nonpharmacological treatment and an objective indication of pharmacological treatment, which takes into account the use of full doses of drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (ACEI or ARB), of a calcium channel antagonist and long-acting, of a thiazide diuretic and, as a fourth drug, proposed the use of spironolactone. The following was the indication of a beta-blocker with vasodilating action or a drug with central action.

[…]