A large selection of medicines to treat high blood pressure is currently available. The National Institutes of Health maintains a list of the most commonly used oral medications. Generic names are listed with generic and brand name availability, according to the most recent information submitted to the Food and Drug Administration.
Diuretics or Water Pills
According to the NIH, diuretics help to lower blood pressure by removing extra water and sodium from the body. Several types of diuretics are available, including thiazide, loop, potassium-sparing and aldosterone blockers, says the NIH.
Thiazide diuretics include chlorthalidone; chlorothiazide, or Diuril; hydrochlorothiazide or Microzide and HydroDIURIL; indapamide or Lozol; metolazone or Zaroxolyn and Mykrox; and polythiazide, or Renese.
Loop diuretics consist of bumetanide, or Bumex; furosemide, or Lasix; and torsemide, or Demadex.
The potassium-sparing diuretics are amiloride, or Midamor; and triamterene, or Dyrenium.
The aldosterone blocker diuretics include eplerenone, or Inspra; and spironolactone, or Aldactone.
Beta Blockers
Beta blockers lower blood pressure by helping to open blood vessels and allowing the heart to not work as hard, says the NIH.
The beta blockers include atenolol, or Tenormin; betaxolol, or Kerlone; bisoprolol, or Zebeta; metoprolol or Lopressor; metoprolol extended release or Toprol XL; nadolol, or Corgard; propranolol or Inderal; propranolol long-acting, or Inderal LA; timolol or Blocadren; acebutolol; penbutolol or Levatol; and pindolol, or Visken, according to the NIH.
A subgroup of beta blockers that have both alpha and beta adrenergic blocking actions are carvedilol, or Coreg; and labetalol. or Normodyne and Trandate, says the NIH.
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, or ACEIs
The NIH reports that ACEIs lower blood pressure by preventing the formation of the hormone angiotensin II which causes blood vessels to contract and raise blood pressure.
The ACEIs, as reported by the NIH, include benazepril, or Lotensin; captopril, or Capoten; enalapril or Vasotec; fosinopril, or Monopril; lisinopril or Prinivil and Zestril; moexipril or Uniretic and Univasc; perindopril, or Aceon; quinapril, or Accupril; ramipril or Altace; and trandolapril, or Mavik.
Angiotensin II Antagonists
Angiotensin II antagonists work by preventing the hormone angiotensin II from acting, which results in opening of blood vessels and blood pressure lowering, states the NIH.
According to the NIH, the available angiotensin II antagonist medications include candesartan, or Atacand; eprosartan, or Teveten; irbesartan, or Avapro; losartan, or Cozaar; olmesartan, or Benicar; telmisartan, or Micardis; and valsartan, or Diovan.
Calcium Channel Blockers or CCBs
According to the NIH, the CCBs lower blood pressure by blocking calcium from entering the muscle of blood vessels which helps to relax and open the blood vessels.
The medications in the CCB category, as reported by the NIH, consist of amlodipine, or Norvasc; diltiazem extended release, or Cardizem CD, Dilacor XR, Tiazac and Cardizem LA; felodipine or Plendil; isradipine or Dynacirc CR; nicardipine sustained release, or Cardene SR; nifedipine long-acting or Adalat CC and Procardia XL; nisoldipine, or Sular; verapamil, or Coer, Covera HS, and Verelan PM; verapamil immediate release, or Calan and Isoptin;) and verapamil long acting, or Calan SR and Isoptin SR.
Miscellaneous Antihypertensive Medications
Other medicines used to treat hypertension include alpha blockers, medications acting on the nervous system, and medications acting directly on blood vessels, says the NIH.
Alpha blockers help to relax the muscle of blood vessels thereby lowering blood pressure, says the NIH. The alpha blocker medications are doxazosin, or Cardura; prazosin, or Minipress; and terazosin, or Hytrin.
The NIH sates that antihypertensive medications acting on the nervous system lower blood pressure by blocking signals from the brain that would cause tightening of blood vessels. Antihypertensive medications acting on the nervous system include clonidine, or Catapres; clonidine patch, or Catapres-TTS; methyldopa, or Aldomet; reserpine; and guanfacine, or Intuniv.
According to the NIH, direct vasodilators lower blood pressure by directly relaxing the muscle of blood vessels and allowing them to open more. These medications consist of hydralazine, or Apresoline; and minoxidil, or Loniten.
References
- National Institutes of Health: The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure
- The National Library of Medicine: DailyMed Current Medication Information
- National Institutes of Health: Types of Blood Pressure Medications
