Implications of trial results: the potentially misleading notions of number needed to treat and average duration of life gained

Consider a physician advising a patient to start antihypertensive treatment. He has the unenviable task of presenting often conflicting trial data in a comprehensible manner. He must justly represent the known risks and benefits such that his patient can make a reasonably informed choice. Should the physician cite the number needed to treat or the average duration of life gained to clarify his explanations?