Blood Pressure Medication

Beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and nervous system inhibitors are just a few of the many types of blood pressure medication available. If your doctor prescribes medication for high blood pressure , remember to take your pills exactly as directed. There are many types of high blood pressure medication available, and each one works in a slightly different way.  

 

Medications for Blood Pressure: An Introduction

In addition to lifestyle changes, some people need blood pressure medication to improve their condition. There are many varieties of these medicines; each one works in a slightly different way. Also, people react to medication in different ways, so it's possible that your healthcare provider will need to try a few different types of blood pressure medication to find the one that's best for you.
 
If your doctor does prescribe medicine for high blood pressure, remember to take your pills exactly as directed. Even if you feel well, you still need to take your medication because damage can be occurring within your body.
 

Types of High Blood Pressure Medication

There are several categories of medication used to treat high blood pressure. Often, two or more drugs work better than one. The main types of medication for high blood pressure include:
 
  • Beta blockers
  • Diuretics
  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) 
  • Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
  • Calcium channel blockers (CCBs)
  • Alpha blockers
  • Alpha-beta blockers
  • Nervous system inhibitors
  • Vasodilators.
     

Detailed Descriptions of Blood Pressure Medications

As a whole, the different types of high blood pressure medications are known as "antihypertensives.
 " In the following sections, each variety of antihypertensive drug is described in more detail.
 
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 as blood pressure medications 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 used as blood pressure medication 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:
 

 

Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs)
Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are newer blood pressure medicines that protect your blood vessels from angiotensin II. As a result, with this type of high blood pressure medication, the blood vessels relax and become wider and your blood pressure goes down.
 
Some examples of ARBs used for lowering blood pressure include:
 
Calcium Channel Blockers (CCBs)
Calcium channel blockers keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels. This reduces the heart rate and causes the blood vessels to relax. In turn, blood pressure goes down.
 
CCBs used as blood pressure medications include:
 
Alpha Blockers
Alpha blockers reduce nerve impulses to blood vessels. This enables blood to pass through the vessels more easily, resulting in lower blood pressure.
 
Alpha blockers used for treatment of high blood pressure include:
 
Alpha-Beta Blockers
Alpha-beta blockers work in the same fashion as alpha-blockers , but they also slow down the heart rate (they are similar to beta-blockers in this regard). This type of blood pressure medication results in less blood being pumped through the blood vessels, so the blood pressure goes down. Carvedilol (Coreg®) is an alpha-beta blocker used as blood pressure medication.
 
Nervous System Inhibitors
Nervous system inhibitors relax the blood vessels by controlling nerve impulses. This causes the blood vessels to become wider and the blood pressure to go down.
 
Examples of nervous system inhibitors employed as blood pressure medications include:
 
  • Guanabenz (Wytensin®)
  • Clonidine hydrochloride (Catapres®).
     
Vasodilators
Vasodilators directly dilate (widen) blood vessels by relaxing the muscle in the vessel walls. This causes blood pressure to go down.
 
Examples of this form of blood pressure medication include:
 
  • Isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur®)
  • Hydralazine (Apresoline®)
  • Hydralazine and isosorbide dinitrate (BiDil®).
     

Blood Pressure Medications: Conclusion

Blood pressure treatment can require considerable time and patience -- both for you and your doctor. It can be frustrating to take pills and possibly experience side effects, especially if you felt fine before high blood pressure treatment. Remember that your blood pressure is only lowered while you are taking these medications. That's why blood pressure medication can't be stopped in most cases, even after blood pressure is lowered. Some treatment for high blood pressure must be continued over a lifetime.
 
Try not to get discouraged if you must be treated indefinitely. While some people can reduce their drug dosages after achieving normal blood pressure and maintaining it for a year or more, treatment usually can't be stopped entirely. Coping with the inconvenience of blood pressure medication is still much better than suffering a stroke or heart attack. Most people who are treated successfully usually live a long and healthy life.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
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