Types of Hypertension Medications

Hypertension medication can help control blood pressure when right diet and regular physical activity alone have not succeeded. Here's a quick glimpse on different types of hypertension medications and how they work. It's possible that a combination of two or more drugs could do the right effect than one drug.

For more information, select the type of medication from the list below:

Sometimes blood pressure stays too high even when a person makes these kinds of healthy changes. In that case, it is necessary to add medicine to help lower blood pressure. Medicines will control your blood pressure, but they cannot cure it. You will need to take blood pressure medicine for a long time.

Blood pressure medicines work in different ways to lower blood pressure. Often, two or more medicines work better than one. Some medicines lower blood pressure by removing extra fluid and salt from your body. Others affect blood pressure by slowing down the heartbeat or by relaxing and widening blood vessels.

Below are the types of hypertension medication used to treat high blood pressure:

• Diuretics (di-u-RET-iks) are sometimes called water pills. They work by helping your kidneys flush excess water and salt from your body. This reduces the amount of fluid in your blood, and your blood pressure goes down. There are different types of diuretics. They are often used along with other high blood pressure medicines and may be combined with another medicine in one pill. Some of the common types of diuretics are:

  • Amiloride (Midamor)
  • Bumetanide (Bumex)
  • Chlorothiazide (Diuril)
  • Chlorthalidone (Hygroton)
  • Furosemide (Lasix)
  • Hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrix, Hydrodiuril)
  • Indapamide (Lozol)
  • Spironolactone (Aldactone)

• Beta blockers help your heart beat slower and with less force. Your heart pumps less blood through the blood vessels, and your blood pressure goes down.
  Some common types of beta blockers medication are:

  • Acebutolol (Sectral)
  • Atenolol (Tenormin)
  • Betaxolol (Kerlone)
  • Bisoprolol/hydrochlorothiazide (Ziac)
  • Bisoprolol (Zebeta)
  • Carteolol (Cartrol)
  • Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL)
  • Nadolol (Corgard)
  • Propranolol (Inderal)
  • Sotalol (Betapace)
  • Timolol (Blocadren)

• Angiotensin converting enzyme (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. Common types of ACE medication are:

  • Benazepril (Lotensin)
  • Captopril (Capoten)
  • Enalapril (Vasotec)
  • Fosinopril (Monopril)
  • Lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril)
  • Moexipril (Univasc)
  • Perindopril (Aceon)
  • Quinapril (Accupril)
  • Ramipril (Altace)
  • Trandolapril (Mavik)

• Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are newer blood pressure medicines that protect your blood vessels from angiotensin II. As a result, the blood vessels relax and become wider, and your blood pressure goes down. Some common type of ARBs are:

  • Candesartan (Atacand)
  • Eprosartan (Teveten)
  • Irbesartan (Avapro)
  • Losartan (Cozaar)
  • Telmisartan (Micardis)
  • Valsartan (Diovan)

• Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of your heart and blood vessels. This causes blood vessels to relax, and your blood pressure goes down. Common types of CCBs are:

  • Amlodipine (Norvasc, Lotrel)
  • Bepridil (Vascor)
  • Diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac)
  • Felodipine (Plendil)
  • Nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia)
  • Nimodipine (Nimotop)
  • Nisoldipine (Sular)
  • Verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan)

• Alpha blockers reduce nerve impulses that tighten blood vessels, allowing blood to pass more easily and causing blood pressure to go down.

  • Doxazosin mesylate (Cardura)
  • Prazosin hydrochloride (Minipress)
  • Prazosin and polythiazide (Minizide)
  • Terazosin hydrochloride (Hytrin)

• Alpha-beta blockers reduce nerve impulses to blood vessels the same way alpha blockers do, but they also slow the heartbeat, as beta blockers do. As a result, blood pressure goes down. Common type of Alpha-beta blockers are:

  • Carvedilol (Coreg)
  • Labetalol hydrochloride (Normodyne)

• Nervous system inhibitors relax blood vessels by controlling nerve impulses from the brain. This causes blood vessels to become wider and blood pressure to go down.

• Vasodilators (VA-so-di-LA-ters) open blood vessels by directly relaxing the muscle in the vessel walls, causing blood pressure to go down.

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