Asked by
atul mishra
in
Personal Health
at
11:15 AM on July 24, 2008
KHURSHEED's Answer
Blood pressure that is persistently higher than 140/ 90 mm Hg usually is treated with lifestyle modifications and medication. If the diastolic pressure remains at a borderline level (usually under 90 mm Hg, yet persistently above 85), however, more aggressive treatment also may be started in certain circumstances. These circumstances include borderline diastolic pressures in association with end-organ damage, systolic hypertension, or factors that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as age over 65 years, African American decent, smoking, hyperlipemia (elevated blood fats), or diabetes.
Any one of the several classes of medications may be started, except the alpha-blocker medications. The alpha-blockers drugs are used only in combination with another anti-hypertensive medication in specific medical situations.
In some particular situations, certain classes of anti-hypertensive drugs are preferable to others as the first line (choice) drugs. For example, Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blocking (ARB) drugs are the drugs of choice in patients with heart failure, chronic kidney failure (in diabetics or non-diabetics), or heart attack (myocardial infarction) that weakens the heart muscle (systolic dysfunction), as these have remodeling effect on heart muscles. Also, beta-blockers are sometimes the preferred treatment in hypertensive patients with a resting tachycardia (racing heart beat when resting) or an acute (rapid onset, current) heart attack.
the drugs to be used are :
1. Diuretics (water pills)
2. Beta blockers (these decrease the heart rate and decrease the blood pressure
3. Calcium Channel Blockers (these dilate the blood vessels)
4. Ace Inhibitors(these protect the blood vessels and the heart muscles)
5. Angiotensin Receptor Blockers(these protect the blood vessels and the heart muscles)
6. Alpha Blockers (these dilate the blood vessels)
7. Others
Answered at
8:46 PM on July 25, 2008
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