What Are the Safest High Blood Pressure Medications?

According to the American Heart Association, approximately one in three adults in the United States has been diagnosed with high blood pressure. People rarely show signs or symptoms of hypertension, so it can be very difficult to catch. Once a doctor determines that a patient has high blood pressure, it is imperative that the patient receives proper medical treatment and medication in order to treat the condition.

Antihypertensive Medications

• People who have high blood pressure (or hypertension) are often treated with antihypertensive medications to reduce arterial pressure. This helps reduce the blood volume, the heart rate and stroke volume. This is the most common type of treatment for patients who have been diagnosed with primary hypertension.

  Several different medications produce an antihypertensive effect. Depending on which drug is used, some will block the nerve impulses that cause arteries to constrict, while others will slow the heart rate and decrease the force of contraction. Examples of antihypertensive drugs include beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, valsartan, losartan, prazosin and terazosin.

Diuretics

• Examples of diuretics include chlorothiazide, chlorthalidone, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide and spironolactone. Diuretics promote the loss of water from the body. With the water loss, a patient can expect salt loss as well. Many hypertension medications cause the human body to retain water and salt, so diuretics are often used in conjunction with other medications. Different diuretics cause different actions within the body. Most of them will react directly with the kidneys. The most commonly prescribed diuretics or water pills are chlorothiazide, chlorthalidone and hydrochlorothiazide.

  Many water pills are well tolerated; however, one drawback is potassium depletion. That's why it's so important to up your intake of potassium-rich food products, such as bananas, apricots and orange juice. In some cases, the patient's doctor will make potassium recommendations specific to the patient.

Beta Blockers

• Beta blockers block the response between the heart, blood vessels and the nerves. This slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure. Beta-blocking medications are used in a variety of diseases, including angina, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, heart arrhythmias and glaucoma.

  Beta blockers are also referred to as beta-adrenergic blocking agents. According to the Mayo Clinic, beta blockers work by blocking the effects of the hormone epinephrine, or adrenaline. Beta blockers cause the heart to beat slower and with less force, which reduces blood pressure. They can improve blood flow as well.

  Examples of brand-name beta blockers include Sectral, Tenormin, Zebeta, Coreg, Lopressor, Corgard, Bystolic and Inderal LA.

ACE Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers

• Some calcium channel blockers are combined with ACE inhibitors. "ACE" stands for "angiotensin-converting enzyme." ACE inhibitors work to prevent the formation of a hormone called angiotensin II. This hormone normally causes blood vessels to narrow. An ACE inhibitor relaxes the vessels and lowers the blood pressure.

  Calcium channel blockers, or CCB, keep the calcium from entering the muscle cells of both the heart and the blood vessels. Doing so causes the blood vessels to relax and the blood pressure to go down.