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What prescription medications treat high blood pressure?

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common condition that affects many people. Untreated, it can raise your risk of heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and kidney problems. Many people don't know they have high blood pressure because it usually doesn't cause symptoms.

If lifestyle changes aren't enough, more than 50 prescription drugs can treat high blood pressure. Most of them fall into one of the following categories: diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, alpha-blockers, calcium channel blockers, or beta-blockers. Although each group of drugs works in a different way, all are effective in lowering blood pressure.

Your doctor will consider your medical history, current health, age, race, and the severity of your hypertension when choosing a medication that's right for you. Beta-blockers, such as atenolol (brand name Tenormin), and diuretics, such as >hydrochlorothiazide (Hydrodiuril), are often the first choice for people newly diagnosed with hypertension. ACE inhibitors, such as >lisinopril (Zestril), may be especially helpful for people who have diabetes. Likewise, beta-blockers may help people who've had a heart attack in the past. You may need to try several medications before you find the one that works best for you. Or you may need to use a combination of these medications to control your high blood pressure.

Sources:
The Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. Archives of Internal Medicine, 1997.
The Merck Manual of Medical Information. Merck & Co., 1997.

This answer prepared 2/1/01.