High Blood Pressure Treatment (cont.)
John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP
John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Jay W. Marks, MD
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
In this Article
- What is high blood pressure (hypertension)?
- Which lifestyle modifications are beneficial in treating high blood pressure?
- Alcohol
- Smoking
- Coffee and caffeinated beverages
- Salt
- Other dietary considerations
- Obesity
- Exercise and stress reduction
- How is high blood pressure treated?
- Starting treatment for high blood pressure
- Treatment with combinations of drugs for high blood pressure
- Emergency treatment for high blood pressure
- Treatment during pregnancy
- Which medications are used to treat high blood pressure
- Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin receptor blockers
- Beta blockers
- Diuretics
- Calcium channel blockers (CCBs)
- Alpha blockers
- Clonidine
- Minoxidil
- Renin inhibitors
- Aldosterone blockers
- Combining agents
- What about the patient's compliance with medication regimens?
- Is alternative medicine used to treat high blood pressure?
- What are the complications of high blood pressure?
- Can high blood pressure be prevented?
- What's new in high blood pressure?
- Find a local Internist in your town
Aldosterone blockers
Eplerenone (Inspra) is an aldosterone receptor blocker. It is used to treat congestive heart failure after a heart attack and also is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Aldosterone blockers promote lower blood pressure by increasing the elimination of salt from the body.
Common side effects include headache, dizziness, diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, and cough or flu-like symptoms (such as fever, chills, and unusual tiredness).
Combining agents
Combining medications in lower doses often can reduce blood pressure more effectively with fewer side effects.
Exforge is a combination of amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker and valsartan, an ARB.
According to the manufacturer, by using these two drugs in combination, Exforge works to block substances in the body that can cause blood vessels to narrow and can help blood vessels relax so that blood pressure is lower.
Studies have shown that taking Exforge increases the likelihood of reducing blood pressure more than either drug taken individually.
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