Antihypertensive Drug Treatment

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects millions worldwide. If left untreated, hypertension possesses the possibility to exacerbate any number of preexisting conditions or create complications. Hypertension can be fatal. According to the American Heart Association, over 70 million people have the disease, meaning one in every three Americans has or could be clinically diagnosed with the disease. Luckily, if detected early, hypertension can be effectively treated with a combination diet modification, exercise and prescription drugs.

What Is Hypertension?

• Certain criteria must be met in order for hypertension to be diagnosed. The average person's blood pressure (BP) registers 120 systolic and 80 diastolic, read as 120 over 80. A BP that reads 139/89 is known as pre-hypertension, meaning the patient possess the characteristics of eventually developing the disease. A reading of 140/90 is known as being hypertensive. To understand BP, the systolic number is the amount of arterial pressure present every time the heart pumps blood; the diastolic is the pressure of the deoxygenated blood returning in the veins to the heart.

Drug Treatment

• There are hundreds of medications that have been prescribed over the years to treat hypertension. In the past, patients usually began a cycle of drugs, used alone or in conjunction, that yielded impressive results. Although they came in different branded names, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers (used to relax stressed-out blood vessels), ACE inhibitors and diuretics all found success with most patients. If not, another round of more aggressive meds were prescribed, like alpha blockers that act on nerve impulses or vasodilators that increase arterial passageways.

Newer Medicine

• The introduction of aliskiren on 2005 showed exceptional results for patients with milder or less advanced forms of the disease. Aliskiren is classified as a renin inhibitor. Renin is an enzyme in the kidneys that plays part in BP elevation, and by slowing or preventing the angiotensin II, the body is "tricked" into lowering blood pressure.

Complications

• As with most medications, side effects are inevitable. Diuretics thin the blood and eliminate potassium, as well as raise blood sugar levels in diabetics and cause some degree of impotence in small portion of the population. Beta blockers are blamed for the insomnia and depressive episodes many patients report after a round with the drugs, while calcium channel blockers give users the feeling of abnormal heart palpitations. ACE inhibitors have been known to cause loss of taste sensation, transient skin blemishes and rashes, and strong chronic coughing fits. The potential for kidney damage is present as well.

Warning Signs

• There are no visible symptoms of hypertension, as a result many individuals discover they have the disease usually at routine checkups or while seeing their doctors for another matter. Some patients have complained of headaches, more severe in the early morning, or an ever-present ear ringing (tinnitus). Those with a family history of the disease or experiencing any of the above symptoms should seek medical attention as soon as possible.