While the class of blood pressure-lowering medicines called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors may be prescribed more commonly, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) work just as well and may cause fewer side effects.
The most common blood pressure medicines are ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers and diuretics. Many people need more than one medicine to bring their high blood pressure under control.
Safe medications to use include methyldopa and potentially some diuretics and beta-blockers, including labetalol.
The first choice is usually a thiazide diuretic.
Summary: A new drug called Baxdrostat has been shown to significantly reduce high blood pressure (hypertension) in patients who may not respond to current treatments for the condition, according to results from a phase II trial.
The benefits of blood pressure medicines are clear: Blood pressure medicines can help you keep your blood pressure at healthy levels and therefore greatly reduce your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. In general, the risks of taking blood pressure medicines are low.
Beta-blockers, specifically metoprolol, atenolol, and propranolol, are the high blood pressure drugs most associated with weight gain (Wharton, 2018).
Your doctor will consider your blood pressure numbers when deciding whether to prescribe medications. If your blood pressure is 140/90mmHg or over this is considered high. If you are otherwise in good health, and your overall risk of heart attacks and stroke is low, changes to your lifestyle might be enough.
Diuretics (like hydrochlorothiazide, Dyazide, or Maxzide) taken to help control high blood pressure tend to cause a temporary reduction in weight due to fluid loss.
What causes high blood pressure? High blood pressure usually develops over time. It can happen because of unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as not getting enough regular physical activity. Certain health conditions, such as diabetes and having obesity, can also increase the risk for developing high blood pressure.
“Consuming diets with adequate magnesium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension).
Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)
Examples include candesartan (Adesan, Atacand), eprosartan (Teveten), irbesartan (Abisart, Avapro, Karvea), losartan (Cozaar, Cozavan), olmesartan (Olmetec), telmisartan (Micardis, Mizart) and valsartan (Diovan).
Moderate or severe headaches, anxiety, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, palpitations, or feeling of pulsations in the neck are some signs of high blood pressure. Often, these are late signs that high blood pressure has existed for some time, therefore annual checks are recommended for all adults.
Your doctor may want to check for things like an overactive thyroid, sleep apnea, kidney dysfunction, or adrenal gland disorders, which can elevate blood pressure. Timing is everything. Consider taking your medication at a different time of day than you do now.
Still, you can make lifestyle changes to bring your blood pressure down. Something as simple as keeping yourself hydrated by drinking six to eight glasses of water every day improves blood pressure. Water makes up 73% of the human heart,¹ so no other liquid is better at controlling blood pressure.