Introduction Hypertension is a condition that affects various parts of the body. Immediate medical care and attention are advised in case of a positive diagnosis of hypertension. This paper reviews the case study of Darius, a 65-year-old man who has been diagnosed with hypertension. Using the review, the physician will determine the follow-up and treatment plan to ensure that he is in his best possible health.  The treatment goal for Darius Hypertension is a very dangerous condition when not attended to. It can cause strokes and many cardiovascular complications. According to the national guidelines, both Darius and his doctor should have a clear treatment, outlining the desired outcome for the treatment (Whelton et al., 2018). The fact that Darius’ arteries are already starting to thicken is an indication that he needs medical attention to prevent the thickening of arteries. Besides medication, a drastic change in his lifestyle is required to ensure that his blood pressure is at a normal range (Lau, 2017). The goal of treatment for Darius’ hypertension is to ensure that he lives a normal, risk-free life.  Drug therapy The fact that Darius’ hypertension is still in stage one means that it can be managed easily with both medication and some lifestyle changes to ensure that he has normal blood pressure. Though Darius is only in the first stage, the fact that he is in a high-risk position for cardiovascular conditions. This, therefore, means that besides lifestyle changes, he would need some medication to help level his blood pressure. At this stage of his hypertension, ACE inhibitors and a thiazide diuretic would be the best choice of medication to ensure that his blood pressure is at the right level and that the risk of stroke, and cardiovascular attack. However, the priority for treatment, in this case, is a change of lifestyle for Darius. This refers to a change in his diet and salt intake and even the way that he takes care of his body and health. The reason for this mode of treatment is that the patient, being over 50 years of age, is at high risk of hypertension-related complications. In cases of relatively younger persons, a slight change in lifestyle and doing activities that keep the high blood pressure at bay would be a recommendation. However, because Darius is older than 50 years and he is already experiencing a thickening of his arterial walls. He also has a history of diabetes which makes the situation even riskier. Parameters for monitoring the success of the therapy After starting the therapy, Darius needs to monitor his progress as far as his blood pressure is concerned. The medication and therapy are not expected to start working and showing results immediately. However, during the treatment, Darius needs to keep track of his blood pressure levels, sugar levels, his weight, and his overall health. There are options for Darius to monitor his blood pressure. One of the ways he can monitor his progress by ensuring regular visits to the doctor. Doctors need to evaluate whether or not the medication is working. There is a lot that needs to be monitored when it comes to this case (Benetos, Petrovic, & Strandberg, 2019). The fact that Darius is already suffering from diabetes means that he has more than just the blood pressure to be monitored. He should schedule regular visits to a physician where they test the blood sugar levels as well as the blood pressure. Alternatively, Darius can buy authorized devices for testing for blood sugar levels to ensure that his diabetes is well managed and that it is in the normal range. He can also measure his blood pressure from home, making sure that it is also in the recommended range considering his race, age, and overall health status. On the other hand, he cannot conduct a test on himself to see how his heart rate is. That is why it would be better to go to the hospital where a doctor can test his heart rate, blood sugar levels, and his blood pressure. However, it also important to have gadgets at home to measure both the blood sugar levels and the blood pressure in case there are any unusual signs and symptoms. This ensures that even before the doctor’s usual follow up appointment on hypertension, Darius can monitor his blood pressure. With the testing gadgets at home, he can test his progress daily once or even twice in a day. Having the necessary gadgets at home will ensure that Darius can monitor both his blood sugar levels and his blood pressure before seeing his doctor for extensive testing (Benetos, Petrovic, & Strandberg, 2019). Patient education The doctor in charge of Darius’ health care should ensure that Darius is well informed on everything that is going on regarding his health. This will help in ensuring that he is aware and on board with the treatment options presented to him throughout his diagnosis, treatment, and recovery process.  The recommended therapy for Darius on how to manage his blood pressure keeping it at normal ranges that are harmless to his body is a lifestyle adjustment and medication to stabilize his blood pressure. The responsible doctor or physician working with Darius should ensure that he knows what is expected of him in terms of what to change in his day to day life. one of the things that Darius should be enlightened about is the types of food to eat. He should avoid salty food due to his previous issues with gout and diabetes (Benetos, Petrovic, & Strandberg, 2019). Secondly, he should avoid fatty foods to avoid further clogging of his arteries which can be caused by high cholesterol intake. He should therefore avoid foods high in cholesterol and only take foods with healthy fats. He should also take foods high in potassium, they reduce blood pressure levels. The doctors also need to educate Darius on the activities that can help with keeping him in shape.  Adverse reactions Some drugs have reactions depending on every person’s body. The recommended drug for Darius’ case is the Diuril also referred to as chlorothiazide. It is an ACE angiotensin-converting enzyme, an inhibitor that helps with the control and management of hypertension. The drug can cause some reactions like coughing, dizziness, swelling, and other very serious side effects like kidney failure and liver failure. In cases of mild side effects like nausea and coughing which can stop after around 4 weeks, the patient may continue using the drug as well as practicing a safe lifestyle. However, where a patient is allergic and shows severe signs, the drug should be discontinued immediately. Second-line therapy For second-line therapy for Darius, the recommended medications are the Amlodipine since it can be used by people living with gout. Alternative over the counter medications There are many ACE inhibitors in pharmacies that work similarly. Darius is only required to pick one that suits him in terms of effectiveness in lowering his blood pressure and being affordable. Some options that he has are; Clevidipine and Nicardipine with which, due to his existing gout, he would have to watch his blood pressure more closely and carefully.  Lifestyle changes  Hypertension requires both medication in some cases and a lifestyle change in all cases. Lifestyle changes are recommended even as a precaution against hypertension and other diseases like diabetes, and heart failure. Lifestyle changes are not easy to adapt to, but they go a long way in the prevention and management of hypertension. It includes adjustment of many areas of one’s life. Darius’ case is no different. There is a lot that he needs to change in his life. One of them is his feeding habits; Darius should increase his intake of vegetables and iron filled food. As earlier mentioned, due to the already thickening arteries, the best thing for Darius to do is to stay away from food with high levels of cholesterol. This will help to reduce the levels of blood pressure because clogged arteries increase the pressure of blood in the body and as it enters and leaves the heart (Whelton et al., 2018). Darius also needs to stop tobacco intake since it also increases the pressure of the blood all through the body. The other thing is also to regulate the intake of alcohol as it affects the liver. Also, it dehydrates the body and therefore when taken in large quantities could cause an increase in the blood pressure levels. Reduction in the intake of salt is also recommended to help with both hypertension and diabetes (Whelton et al., 2018). Another thing that Darius should consider is exercise. He has gained a lot of weight in the past year and this could be a contributor to high blood pressure. To reduce the weight to a healthy range. (Whelton et al., 2018). However, with his age and gout, extensive physical exercises may be limited. There are other alternative ways of exercising and making sure that the body is in good shape. Walking is one of those exercises. This will not put much pressure on his joints, and will also be great at reducing the level of blood pressure. Yoga is also another alternative that will help with both gout and hypertension.  Increasing his intake of water will greatly help in the overall body maintenance and ensuring that his blood levels are adequate, reducing the chances of a stroke. All these efforts and follow through ensure that Darius stays healthy and manage his hypertension, diabetes, and gout, ensuring he lives a healthy life.  Interaction for agent  Amlodipine can interact with some medications like simvastatin. The medication can only be taken in small dosages when a patient is also taking Amlodipine (Lau, 2017). It can also interact with aspirin and Darius should avoid taking both of them at the same time. Conclusion Hypertension can be managed and treated. However, it takes effort on both the doctor’s side and the patient’s side. A drastic lifestyle adjustment is required and this ensures the patient lives a long and healthy life. A doctor’s opinion and prescription for the drugs is very important throughout the entire journey.