High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects more than one in every three adults older than age 19 in the United States, reports the American Heart Association. In addition to adopting healthful lifestyle practices, antihypertensive medications remain the cornerstone of treatment for high blood pressure. Because hypertension rarely causes symptoms, regular medical monitoring proves necessary to ensure treatment effectiveness.
Indications
"The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure" issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends initiating antihypertensive drug therapy for patients with a blood pressure greater than 139/89 mmHg, a reading that reflects stage 1 hypertension. The Committee also recommends blood pressure-lowering medications for high-risk patients with prehypertension, defined as a blood pressure of 120 to 139/80 to 89 mmHg. Included in the high-risk category are patients with a history of a heart attack or stroke, and those with diabetes mellitus, heart failure or chronic kidney disease.
Types
Several classes of medications produce blood pressure-lowering effects in the body. Doctors usually prescribe a diuretic as first-line treatment for patients with newly diagnosed hypertension. Diuretics reduce the blood volume by promoting increased excretion of water and salt by the kidneys.
Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers and calcium channel blockers promote relaxation of the muscle cells of the blood vessels, thereby reducing pressure within the arteries, explains physiologist Richard Klabunde, Ph.D., in the online text "Cardiovascular Pharmacology Concepts." Beta blockers reduce the volume of blood output from the heart by diminishing the force and rate of heart contractions.
Benefits
High blood pressure is a significant contributing factor to several life-threatening medical conditions, including stroke, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, heart attack and heart failure. Lowering blood pressure with the aid of antihypertensive medications significantly reduces a patient's risk for these diseases, reports "The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure."
Side Effects
Potential side effects of blood pressure-lowering medications vary according to the drug class. Common side effects of antihypertensive medications noted by the American Academy of Family Physicians include fatigue, dizziness, stomach upset, headache, a change in bowel habits, cough, nervousness and skin rash. Patients should discuss the possible side effects of their prescribed medications with their doctor.
Enhancing Treatment Effects
Lifestyle modifications prove fundamentally important in lowering blood pressure. Reduced salt and alcohol intake, regular exercise and weight loss among patients who are overweight or obese improve the effects of blood pressure-lowering medications, states "The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure."
References
- American Heart Association: Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics --- 2010 Update
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure
- Cardiovascular Pharmacology Concepts: Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors
- Cardiovascular Pharmacology Concepts: Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs)
- FamilyDoctor.org: High Blood Pressure Medicines
