Anti-Hypertensives

Some blood pressure drugs cause your blood vessels to dilate so more easily blood passes through them. Others drain excess fluid from the blood or interfere with natural chemicals your body produces that increase blood pressure.

Besides age, race, and gender, your health care provider will consider all your other health issues, as well as the height of your blood pressure, when deciding which antihypertensive medication is suitable for you. Thus, the treatment you will receive will not be the same as the treatment prescribed to your neighbor or your brother, as you will each have your own individual circumstances. 

You may also need to take more than one category of high blood pressure medicine to lower your blood pressure readings. Your health care practitioner can attempt a single antihypertensive medication and gradually introduce a second and/or third as needed to reduce your blood pressure. They also may begin and discontinue antihypertensive medications if they’re not producing results or if you develop bothersome side effects or adverse bloodwork changes. Your healthcare provider will probably ask you to check your blood pressure at home every morning, before you have had any caffeine.

Most individuals take blood pressure medications as a pill you swallow daily, but your doctor might provide some antihypertensive medicines intravenously (IV) in your arm during hospitalization.

What is blood pressure medication used for?

When the blood pressure is lowered, the heart has less work to do in pumping blood continuously to all vital organs and cells, day and night.

How common are antihypertensives?

Antihypertensive medications are extremely prevalent, as approximately 1 billion individuals worldwide have high blood pressure. In the United States, approximately 50% of individuals over the age of 20 have high blood pressure and may be taking high blood pressure medication.