• High Blood Pressure - Medications
• Highlights
• Introduction
• Causes
• Risk Factors
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis

Medications

Several classes of drugs are used to treat hypertension.

Diuretics

Diuretics help the kidneys get rid of excess salt and water. They are the mainstays of anti-hypertensive therapy and are often the first type of drug selected for most people with hypertension. They are also especially helpful for treating patients with heart failure, patients with isolated systolic hypertension, the elderly, and African-Americans. (African-Americans are more likely to be salt-sensitive, so they respond...