Summary: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) updated its recommendations on the management of patients with hypertension (published in 2004), in light of \"significant new data\" relating to drug treatment. The update, published in collaboration with the British Hypertension Society (BHS), recommended first-line use of a calcium-channel blocker or a thiazide-type diuretic in patients aged over 55 years or an ACE inhibitor in those aged under 55 years, and advised that beta-blockers should no longer be used for routine initial therapy.