Popular High Blood Pressure Medications

Many people with high blood pressure (hypertension) must take one or more medications to achieve adequate control of their elevated blood pressure. Combinations of medications are not uncommon in the treatment of hypertension. Some experts consider combinations of lower doses of more than one medication more effective in treating hypertension than higher doses of a single medication. In the United States, five categories of medication are most commonly prescribed in the treatment of hypertensive conditions. Those five categories are: beta blocker, calcium channel blocker (CCB), angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), and diuretics.

Beta Blockers

• Beta blockers reduce nerve impulses to heart and blood vessels. In doing so, they cause the heart to beat slower and with less force, in turn lowering blood pressure. Popular beta blockers include metoprolol (Toprol/Lopressor) and atenolol (Tenormin).

Calcium Channel Blockers

• Calcium channel blockers act to relax blood vessels by preventing calcium from entering blood vessel and heart muscle cells. The blood vessel relaxation results in lowered blood pressure.

  Calcium channel blockers are divided into three categories.

  Dihydropyridines work without slowing the heart. A popular medication in this class is Procardia XL.

  All other calcium channel blockers are categorized as non-dihydropyridine agents. Non-dihydropyridine agents are subdivided into two classes: verapamil and diltiazem. Popular verapamil medications include Calan, Covera, Isoptin and Veralan. A popular diltiazem medication is Cardizem.

ACE Inhibitors

• ACE inhibitors prevent formation of a blood vessel narrowing enzyme known as angiotensin II. ACE inhibitors are a popular practitioner choice for patients who have other conditions in addition to hypertension, such as diabetes or a history of heart failure. Popular ACE inhibitor medications include lisinopril, quinapril (Accupril) and trandolapril (Mavik).

Angiotensin Receptor Blockers

• Angiotensin receptor blockers interfere with (block) receptors on the arteries that the angiotensin hormone needs to bind with in order to have an effect. This prevents the angiotensin hormone from causing blood vessel narrowing that results in blood pressure elevation. As with ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers are popular choices for practitioners in situations involving such other medical conditions as heart failure history and diabetes. A popular angiotensin receptor blocker medication is irbesartan (Avapro).

Diuretics

• Diuretics work by reducing the amount of fluid in the blood, which they accomplish by flushing excess sodium and water from the body. Diuretics work in the kidneys. Popular diuretics for use in treating hypertension include hydrochlorothiazide (Hydrodiuril) (a thiazide/sulfa diuretic) and furosemide (Lasix) (a loop diuretic).

Effectiveness and Side Effects

• Each individual's needs and particular physiological makeup vary. Consequently, finding the correct medication regimen for some hypertension patients can require a course of trial-and-error prescribing until a doctor finds a side effect-free, effective set of medications to manage the hypertensive condition. Blood pressure medications can have side effects in some patients. For example, thiazide diuretics are of the sulfa drug class, and can cause violent reactions in patients with sulfa drug sensitivities. Patients may also have reactions to medications in the other categories as well. Many medication options are available for the management of elevated blood pressure, and patients should at once report any side effects of specific medications to their health care professional.