ABSTRACT
A 50-year-old Caucasian man attends his general practitioner for a review of his blood pressure control. He was found to be hypertensive at a routine physical assessment 6 months earlier and had since been attempting to improve his diet and increase the amount of exercise that he regularly undertook. He has been feeling well, with no recent illnesses. His past medical history includes gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, chronic lower back pain and hypercholesterolaemia. His regular medications are omeprazole 40 mg OD and simvastatin 20 mg ON. The patient works as a barrister, smokes 20 cigarettes daily and drinks 20–30 units of alcohol per week.
