Blood Pressure Medication

Beta Blockers
Beta blockers reduce the heart rate and the heart's output of blood. They do this by reducing nerve impulses to the heart and blood vessels. This makes the heart beat slower and with less force. Blood pressure drops, and the heart doesn't need to work as hard.
 
Beta blockers used in the treatment of high blood pressure include:
 
Diuretics
Diuretics rid the body of excess fluids and salt (sodium). Because this high blood pressure medication works in the kidneys and flushes excess water and sodium from the body, diuretics are sometimes called "water pills."
 
Some examples of diuretics include:
 
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) keep your body from making a hormone called angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels to narrow. ACE inhibitors prevent this narrowing, so your blood pressure goes down.
 
ACE inhibitors used to lower blood pressure include:
 
Blood Pressure Medication Article Continues on Next Page >

<< Previous1234Next >>

Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
 
Other Articles in This eMedTV Presentation