Effective drugs for high blood pressure

Arterial hypertension affects more than 50% of the world's population. The risk of changes in the functioning of blood vessels and the heart increases with age. If in children and young people the indicators are almost always normal or slightly below average, then in men and women after 50 years of age, people with stable 120/80 are rarely found. In most cases, blood pressure levels tend to rise. This is facilitated by a decrease in the elasticity of the vascular walls, accumulated chronic disorders, changes in hormonal status and other factors.

Why is it necessary to reduce blood pressure?

Lowering blood pressure is a necessary part of the treatment of hypertension, which has various origins. This must be done not only to improve well-being, but also to eliminate dangerous conditions:

crisis;
arrhythmias;
hypoxia;
disturbances in the blood supply to the tissues of internal organs and the brain.

If you ignore high blood pressure readings, the risk of strokes, heart attacks, progression of angina and heart attacks increases. Everyone whose indicators are outside the normal range has to resort to drugs that normalize blood pressure:

120–140 mm/Hg: systolic (upper);
80–89 mm: diastolic (lower).

Blood pressure close to the lower limits is considered ideal. A tendency to periodically increase values may be the first sign of pathology. Factors provoking the development of the disease:

stress;
chronic systemic diseases;
unfavorable heredity;
congenital heart and vascular defects;
disorders of the kidneys;
unhealthy diet;
smoking;
obesity;
disturbance of carbohydrate or lipid metabolism.

People with incipient or established hypertension often think that they have no health problems. High blood pressure may not show itself at first. As the pathology progresses, it causes sharp throbbing headaches. During an increase in pressure, vision impairment, tinnitus, nausea, and general weakness may occur. Without drug correction, it is not far from a serious attack and irreversible consequences.

Hypertension

Few people in our time have not heard anything about hypertension, or high blood pressure. This is not surprising - after all, in the modern world, every third adult is faced with this problem and is forced to look for ways to solve it.

Blood pressure is considered elevated if its value is 140/90 mmHg. Art. or higher, regardless of the person's age. Most often, high blood pressure is an independent disease called hypertension. But sometimes hypertension is a symptom of some other disease (for example, kidney disease, thyroid disease, adrenal gland disease). In this case, in addition to reducing the numbers, the underlying disease must be treated.

How to use high blood pressure medications

People suffering from hypertension should not buy medications that normalize blood pressure on the advice of friends, pharmacists, or by their own choice. Medicines in this category are selected strictly individually. This is done by the attending physician based on the results of the examination. The type of tablets, their dosage, frequency of administration, and course duration are also determined separately for each patient. The age, stage of hypertension, the causes that caused it, and concomitant diseases are taken into account.

In most cases, patients require medication correction constantly. The doctor may prescribe one or more drugs with different principles of action. Over time, it may be necessary to increase the dosage of tablets. And as your physical condition improves, the amount of medication is reduced.

There are 6 groups of medications to normalize high blood pressure. They all have different mechanisms of action and are available by prescription.

Drug groups

To maintain levels within normal limits in resistant patients, a combination regimen is recommended. The combination of several drugs can not only relieve high blood pressure quickly, but also reduce the risk of complications. List of drug groups for the treatment of hypertension:

ACE inhibitors.
Beta blockers.
Nitrates.
Diuretics.
Calcium channel blockers.
Alpha adrenergic blockers.
Sartans.

Taking several tablets from different groups allows you to reduce the daily dosage due to the synergistic effect between them. Some regimens require a single dose of hypertension medication that can be taken throughout the day.

Beta blockers

Beta blockers lower blood pressure by reducing the effect of pressor amines (adrenaline, norepinephrine) on receptors located in the heart muscle. These drugs affect myocardial contractility and slow down the rhythm, which affects physical activity. Before you bring down high blood pressure, you need to count your pulse. This procedure is important in order to select the correct dosage and not further aggravate the problem by causing weakness of the sinus node. Blockers are good blood pressure pills, and depending on the degree of impact on the heart muscle, they are divided into several groups:

cardioselective;
non-selective.

Medicines of the first category selectively act on the myocardium. Their main advantage is to prevent the development and progression of insufficiency and reduce the manifestations of coronary disease. In addition, they slow the heart rate and the risk of sudden death.

Non-selective medications are contraindicated for patients suffering from bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis with obstruction. Such beta blockers are not recommended for athletes and patients with atherosclerosis. For mild forms of the disease, the doctor prescribes the minimum dose, which will be the best solution in treating such patients. It is non-selective drugs that are included in the treatment protocol for chronic heart failure.

Effective high blood pressure pills from this group are most often prescribed to young people. If the drug is not combined with others, then therapy lasts no more than four weeks. Then, medications for hypertension that are suitable for the patient are combined with medications from other groups. This is necessary to create a long-term treatment regimen. The most commonly used medications are:

"Bisoprolol."
"Nebivolol".
"Metoprolol."
"Carvedilol".

Medicines in this group are not prescribed to patients with impaired conduction in the myocardium, no matter what their pressure is. For them, there are certain management tactics with a combination of other, no less effective means that quickly reduce the rate.

Alpha blockers

The therapeutic effect is achieved by influencing vascular receptors. As a result, the work of the sympathetic autonomic system is blocked. A decrease in the concentration of active amines allows the arterial walls to relax, which leads to a gradual restoration of normal blood pressure.

Tablets from this group are effective drugs for lowering blood pressure. Most often used:

"Monoxidil".
"Hydralazine."

Like any blood pressure medication, products in this category have disadvantages. After administration, the therapeutic effect is short-lived. Due to this, the risk of developing cerebrovascular accident or heart attack increases. Knowing how to quickly reduce blood pressure with pills, you need to be prepared for complications. A sharp drop in indicators leads to short-term tissue ischemia, which negatively affects the body. Most often, such jumps occur under the influence of a stress factor for a short time.

Diuretics

The task of diuretics is to remove excess salts and fluid from the body. These methods can quickly lower blood pressure and alleviate the patient’s condition. At the beginning of therapy, the diuretic effect is significantly pronounced. Many drugs from this group can not only reduce blood pressure, but also reduce swelling of peripheral tissues by removing electrolytes (potassium, magnesium). To maintain a normal balance of microelements, it is recommended to eat dried fruits, bananas or baked potatoes, or take medications that replace them.

Effective blood pressure tablets with a diuretic effect:

"Hydrochlorothiazide."
"Indapamide".
"Furosemide".
"Veroshpiron".
"Torasemide".
"Eplerenone."

To preserve potassium in the body and not take additional medications, you can take diuretics with a potassium-sparing effect. Of the entire list of tablets listed, only “Veroshpiron” and “Torasemide” retain it. If there is a deficiency of the element, patients experience severe cramps in the morning in the calf muscles and other symptoms of deficiency.

Depending on the severity and the drug that the doctor will prescribe, the best way to quickly bring down high blood pressure is to use a combination of diuretics with beta blockers.

Drugs affecting the central nervous system

Blood pressure lowering drugs in this category suppress the activity of the nervous system. As a result, inhibition of the formed reflex or its block at the stage of synaptic impulse transmission is observed. With their help, you can quickly reduce blood pressure in any stressful situation or when your condition worsens, which does not depend on provoking factors.

The best drugs among alpha stimulants:

"Gemidon".
"Dopegit."
"Methyldopa."

The medications listed above are prescribed infrequently. They are necessary when it is impossible to eliminate the provoking factor by other means. Long-term use is not recommended due to the development of side effects. Normal symptoms are weakness and drowsiness after taking brain tissue stimulants. Constant treatment with drugs to quickly reduce blood pressure leads to memory and coordination problems. If therapy is delayed for several years, the drug can provoke the development of dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

ACE inhibitors

The purpose of the drugs is to block the synthesis of angiotensin II. The substances have a vasoconstrictor effect and also reduce heart weight, which leads to a decrease in hypertrophy (heart remodeling). These drugs not only quickly lower blood pressure. They have protective properties against organs that become the first target of hypertension.

If there is damage to the heart muscle, drugs for quickly reducing pressure gradually reduce their severity and improve the prognosis for life. The same effect is observed in heart failure with constant use.

The best medicine for high blood pressure is the one prescribed by the doctor when the patient visits in a timely manner in the early stages of the disease.

These include the following drugs:

"Capoten", "Captopril", "Enalapril", "Diroton".
"Physiotens", "Moxogamma", "Ebrantil".
"Nifedipine".
"Metoprolol", "Anaprilin".

The best medicine for hypertension in case of a sharp jump is Captopril. It is prescribed as a first aid remedy for hypertensive crisis. The drug should not be taken for a long time due to the high risk of mortality, hypotension and fainting.

At first, in the first days or week of treatment, unpleasant symptoms may appear. Fast-acting tablets for high blood pressure cause patients to feel weak and dizzy when changing body position. Some complain of a dry cough - the main reason for changing the medicine. Inhibitors are not recommended for pregnant women.

Nitrates

Nitrate-containing products are not the best blood pressure pills. They are not used as an independent drug. The hypotensive mechanism occurs due to vasodilation. Most often, Nitrosorbide and Nitroglycerin are used for this purpose.

Antispasmodics

In the absence of emergency aid, patients are worried about how to quickly reduce their blood pressure. Medicines from the group of antispasmodics effectively reduce vascular resistance. Of these, the best drugs are:

"Papaverine".
"Minoxidil."
"Drotaverine".

It is important for every patient to know how to quickly lower blood pressure with pills on their own in order to avoid complications of hypertension.
Antispasmodics dilate small vessels and redistribute fluid circulating in the bloodstream. The result is a gradual decrease in pressure. Before reducing the pressure, it is necessary to measure its level. At high rates and severe forms of the course, antispasmodics are ineffective. Therefore, agents will be needed that have an inhibitory effect on the vascular center.

Calcium channel blockers

Calcium is needed to maintain the tone of the vascular wall. An increased concentration of a microelement promotes muscle contraction. In order to reduce it, drugs that are antagonists of the channels through which it enters cells are used. Low calcium levels relax the vessel wall, which allows pressure to be relieved that exceeds the permissible values.

Most often, patients with hypertension are prescribed the following medications:

"Amlodipine."
"Nifedipine".

Before you start treatment, you need to figure out which blood pressure pills are best. The drugs are divided into several groups depending on the duration of action and the severity of the effect.

Blockers with a short effect are preferable to use to relieve an attack of hypertensive crisis. They allow you to quickly lower blood pressure at home. For long-term treatment, retard-acting (long-acting) drugs are used.

Sartans

Drugs in this group have the ability to block specific receptors. As a result, they lower blood pressure for 48 hours. Dry cough, as a side effect, never bothers patients. Sartans do not cause a reaction associated with withdrawal syndrome (which is typical for beta blockers) and “slip-out” (“minus” of ACE inhibitors). The best remedy for hypertension, with its good effectiveness and tolerability, becomes the optimal choice for patients who are forced to take medications daily. Most often used:

Telmisartan.
"Losartan."
"Valsartan".
"Candesartan".

The peculiarity of the tablets is to relieve spasm from the vascular walls. This allows them to be prescribed for the treatment of hypertension of renal origin.

Sympatholytics

When the pressure is high and does not decrease, no matter what drug is used, drugs that depress the vasomotor center are prescribed. Many of them are used rarely, which is associated with the likelihood of addiction. The best drug for normalizing indicators is Clonidine. For elderly people in crises, it is prescribed as a first aid remedy. You can quickly reduce blood pressure with other tablets from the sympatholytic group:

"Andipal".
"Moxonidine."
"Aldomed."
"Reserpine".
"Dopegit."

Reserpine is widely used for therapy due to its affordable cost, but it has a large number of side effects. Therefore, this remedy is recommended to be used only as a last resort. A rapid reduction in pressure is achieved in mild cases of hypertension with the help of Moxonidine and Andipal.

Calcium antagonists

By blocking the penetration of calcium ions into cells, these drugs cause a reflex relaxation of the muscle walls of blood vessels, reducing their tone. As a result of the expansion of the lumen of the arteries, the blood pressure decreases. Side effects of such drugs include: tachycardia, heart rhythm disturbances, dizziness. Popular tablets of this group:

Dialtiazem;
Verapamil;
Norvasc.

The drugs effectively reduce blood pressure in various forms of hypertension, but do not combine well with other groups of antihypertensive drugs and have many contraindications.

Symptoms

Symptoms that may indicate increased blood pressure include:

headache;
dizziness;
“flies” before the eyes;
discomfort in the heart area.

If any of them appear, you should measure your blood pressure. If it is higher than normal, you need to take care of reducing it.

Does it happen that nothing bothers a person, but his blood pressure is elevated? Unfortunately, such cases are not uncommon. This is why it is so important to control your blood pressure even when you feel normal. Many people mistakenly think that if there are no symptoms, then there is no need to reduce blood pressure. Indeed, why take pills if you feel good? Alas, the frequency of complications of hypertension does not depend on whether you feel it or not.

Hypertension can cause serious complications.

Dangerous complications:

myocardial infarction;
stroke;
renal failure.

The higher the pressure, the greater the risk of their development.

ACE inhibitors (angiotensin-converting enzyme)

Drugs that reduce the production of the enzyme that produces angiotensin, a hormone that provokes vascular spasms and a subsequent increase in blood pressure. They act quite gently, improve the outflow of excess fluid from the body, eliminating swelling. But they often provoke coughing attacks - this is their characteristic side effect. Common drugs:

Zokardis;
Captopril;
Criminals

All products are available in the form of tablets of various dosages.

Individual representatives of sartans

Most sartans have similar properties and differ little from each other both in pharmacokinetic parameters and in hypotensive and cardioprotective activity. But still, some ARBs have features:

Losartan, the first synthesized sartan, has a uricosuric effect, that is, it increases the excretion of uric acid. Therefore, it is advisable to use it for concomitant gout [4].
Valsartan blocks, along with AT1 receptors, AT2 receptors located in blood vessels. Due to the blockade of the latter, the drug has a vasodilating effect [13].
Telmisartan increases tissue sensitivity to insulin and enhances glucose utilization in muscles and tissues. At the dosages used for the treatment of hypertension, the drug acts similarly to hypoglycemic drugs - thiazolidinedione derivatives (pioglitazone, rosiglitazone). It is this drug that some experts consider to be a representative of the second generation sartans [13].
Azilsartan medoxomil is a new sartan that binds more tightly to AT1 receptors compared to other ARBs, due to which it has a powerful and long-lasting antihypertensive effect that is superior to the effect of other sartans. The drug increases tissue sensitivity to insulin and affects the mass of adipose tissue, reducing it. The drug is promising for patients with hypertension and metabolic disorders [14].
Fimasartan is another new ARB inhibitor developed by a Korean company. It is used only as an antihypertensive agent [15].

Beta blockers

The effect of taking beta-blockers is based on a decrease in the activity of beta-adrenergic receptors located in myocardial tissue.

Beta-blockers can be used both as a single drug and as part of combination therapy

List of drugs used:

Tenoric. It is used in the treatment of pathology both as an independent remedy and as part of a complex treatment. Has a cumulative effect. The maximum effect is observed two to four hours after taking the tablet.
Metoprolol. Used for arrhythmias. It has a prolonged effect, so you need to take the tablet once a day at the same time. There is no withdrawal syndrome.
Betaxalol. Reduces blood pressure, prevents the development of hypertensive crisis against the background of psycho-emotional and physical stress. Does not interfere with glucose metabolism. At the very beginning of treatment, weakness and slight numbness of the limbs may appear. The condition goes away on its own within a few days.

Diet

It is necessary to limit the consumption of salt and foods rich in sodium (fatty meat, seafood, eggs). Alcohol, coffee and energy drinks are also not recommended for consumption. The diet should be enriched with plant fiber and low-fat lactic acid products. It is also necessary to consume more foods rich in potassium (bananas, spinach, garlic).

People with high blood pressure are advised to eat more vegetables and fruits. Photo: prostooleh / freepik.com

Lifestyle

It is strongly recommended to quit smoking. You need to learn to avoid stress and sleep at least 8 hours a day. To strengthen the cardiovascular system, you need to engage in moderate physical activity, since physical inactivity is one of the factors predisposing to the disease. In addition, physical activity combined with a healthy diet helps normalize body weight. This is a relevant question because overweight people are predisposed to hypertension. Nasal sprays should be used with caution - they increase blood pressure (not to mention the ability to cause addiction). It is recommended to take dietary supplements such as L-carnitine, hawthorn extract, coenzyme Q10 and fish oil.