Calcium Channel Blockers

There is no cure for hypertension, however there are a plethora of treatment options. Diuretics (promote urination), are medications that act on your kidneys to help your body eliminate sodium and water, reducing blood volume. Thiazide diuretics are often the first choice in high BP medications. Thiazide diuretics include: hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide), chlorthalidone and others. Diuretics or calcium channel blockers may work better for African-Americans and older people than do angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors alone. Beta blockers are another type of medication; they reduce the workload on your heart and open your blood vessels, causing your heart to beat slower and with less force. Beta blockers include: acebutolol (Sectral),
Calcium channel blockers may work better for older people and African-Americans than do ACE inhibitors alone. Renin inhibitors slow down the production of renin, an enzyme produced by your kidneys that starts a chain of chemical steps that increases BP. There a risk of serious complications, including stroke, if taking renin inhibitors with ACE inhibitors or ARBs. If taking at least three different types of high BP drugs does not work you may have resistant HTN. People who have controlled high BP but are taking four different types of medications at the same time to achieve that control also are considered to have resistant HTN. Having resistant HTN means that you may have to fine-tune your medications to come up with the most effective combination and doses. Beyond medications, lifestyle changes can also help lower BP. These include: eating a healthier diet with less salt, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol intake, and maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight if you're overweight or obese. To help treat high BP, health care providers recommend that you limit sodium and salt intake, increase potassium, and eat foods that are heart