Nearly one in three US adults has hypertension, or high blood pressure—defined as 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) or higher. Because hyper tension increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney failure, it’s important that people with this condition be treated. Some people can lower their blood pressure with diet and exercise, but most will need one (or more) of the following drugs.

Diuretics, or water pills, help the kidneys flush extra water and salt from your body, thereby decreasing blood volume. With less fluid pushing against vessel walls, the blood pressure may drop to a safer level. Diuretics cause frequent urination and can also lead to dehydration and dry mouth, among other side effects.

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors keep the blood vessels relaxed and blood pressure low by stopping the body from forming angiotensin II, a hormone that causes blood vessels to narrow.

Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), in contrast, work by protecting blood vessels from the effects of angiotensin II, rather than blocking the creation of the hormone itself. However, a 2008 study found that a newer ARB called telmisartan did not lower the rate of stroke, cardiovascular events, or diabetes any better than a placebo in patients who had had a stroke.

Beta-blockers are used to treat a wide variety of ailments, including high blood pressure. The drugs reduce the heart rate and force of cardiac contractions, causing blood pressure to drop. A 2008 study, however, found that beta-blockers don’t prevent the development of heart failure in people with high blood pressure and should not be used as a first-line treatment.

Other drugs, such as calcium channel blockers (CCBs), alpha-blockers, vasodilators, and nervous system inhibitors, work by reducing certain effects of nerve impulses to the blood vessels, allowing the vessels to relax and blood to pass through more freely. These drugs are often prescribed with other types of blood pressure medications, or two different medications are combined in a single pill.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. Chicken soup may help reduce blood pressure: Researchers have found that chicken contains a collagen protein that appears to act like an ACE inhibitor. However, the salt added to most chicken meals or soups may offset or even reverse this potential benefit.
  2. Blood pressure drugs shouldn’t be allowed to make a person’s pressure too low: In a 2008 study on patients with coronary artery disease, bringing diastolic pressure (the bottom number in a blood pressure measurement) below 70 with medication doubled the risk of dying of a heart attack, stroke, or other cause.
  3. Patients with high blood pressure are often encouraged to buy a home blood pressure monitor to check their levels more frequently than just during visits to the doctor’s office.