Endothelin receptor antagonists are used to open up the blood vessels in the lung. They can be helpful for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Fibrates (gemfibrozil, fenofibrate) are sometimes used to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, which often leads to heart disease.
What is the best treatment for atherosclerosis?
Medication for Atherosclerosis. Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors ACE inhibitors may help slow the progression of atherosclerosis by lowering your blood pressure and relaxing your blood vessels. They also reduce your risk of having multiple heart attacks.
What medications are used to lower blood pressure?
Calcium Channel Blockers These drugs lower your blood pressure and relax your blood vessels. Calcium channel blockers are also sometimes used to treat angina (chest pain). Diuretics (Water Pills) Diuretics help lower your blood pressure by reducing fluid retention throughout your body.
How are medications used to treat heart and vascular disease?
Medications Used in Treatment of Heart and Vascular Disease. ACE inhibitors allow blood vessels to expand so that blood can flow more easily and the heart can work more efficiently. These medications may be used for controlling high blood pressure, treating heart failure, or preventing strokes.
What are the best cholesterol medications for heart disease?
In addition to regulating your cholesterol, statins can help stabilize the lining of your heart arteries and prevent atherosclerosis. Anti-Platelet Medication These drugs, which include aspirin, can reduce the risk of blood clots forming in your arteries.
What medication is commonly used to treat hypertension?
the ACE inhibitor lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril) tops the list, followed by amlodipine besylate (Norvasc), a calcium channel blocker, and. generic hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ).
What is the treatment of atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis?
Medical treatment, regular exercise, and dietary changes can be used to keep atherosclerosis from getting worse and stabilize the plaque, but they aren't able to reverse the disease.
What is the most popular medication for hypertension?
The most common high blood pressure medications by total prescriptions written include:Lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril): This medication is an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. ... Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL): This medication is a beta-blocker.More items...
What is the first drug of choice for hypertension treatment?
Generally, ACE inhibitors should remain the initial treatment of choice for hypertension. Angiotensin II receptor antagonists or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are used for patients who are unable to tolerate ACE inhibitors.
How are hypertension and arteriosclerosis related?
Hypertension is a known risk factor for arteriosclerosis, and causes both atherosclero= sis of medium-large arteries and arteriolosclerosis of the arterioles. Elevated blood pressure causes damage to the endothelium and vascular wall through both mechanical and humoral factors.
Can atherosclerosis cause hypertension?
If you have atherosclerosis in the arteries leading to your kidneys, you develop high blood pressure or kidney failure.
What are the top 10 blood pressure medications?
Examples of these drugs include:amlodipine (Norvasc, Lotrel)diltiazem (Cardizem CD, Cardizem SR, Dilacor XR, Tiazac)felodipine (Plendil)isradipine (DynaCirc, DynaCirc CR)nicardipine (Cardene SR)nifedipine (Adalat CC, Procardia XL)nisoldipine (Sular)verapamil (Calan SR, Covera HS, Isoptin SR, Verelan)
What are the 5 types of diuretics?
Let's take a closer look at the classes of diuretics and how they work, and what nurses need to know.Loop Diuretics. ... Thiazides and Thiazide-Like Diuretics. ... Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors. ... Potassium-Sparing Diuretics. ... Osmotic Diuretics. ... Nursing Considerations.
What is angiotensin blocker?
Angiotensin II receptor blockers help relax your veins and arteries to lower your blood pressure and make it easier for your heart to pump blood. Angiotensin is a chemical in your body that narrows your blood vessels. This narrowing can increase your blood pressure and force your heart to work harder.
Which is best treatment for hypertension?
The two classes of medication are both recommended as "first-line" treatments for high blood pressure: angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). ACE inhibitors have been around longer and studied more extensively, so doctors prescribe them more often.
How to reduce risk of atherosclerosis?
Lose extra pounds and maintain a healthy weight. If you're overweight, losing even just a few pounds can reduce your risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, two of the major risk factors for developing atherosclerosis. Ask your doctor what your target weight should be. Eat healthy foods.
How to control blood pressure and cholesterol?
Eat healthy foods. A heart-healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains — and low in refined carbohydrates, sugars, saturated fat and sodium — can help you control your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. Try substituting whole-grain bread in place of white bread.
How to tell if you have atherosclerosis?
This test can tell if you have atherosclerosis in the arteries in your legs and feet. During an ABI test, your doctor compares the blood pressure in your ankle with the blood pressure in your arm. An abnormal difference may be a sign of peripheral vascular disease, which is usually caused by atherosclerosis.
How to reduce the risk of heart disease?
Regular exercise improves blood flow, lowers blood pressure, and reduces your risk of conditions that increase the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease. Aim to exercise at least 30 minutes most days of the week. If you can't fit it all into one session, try breaking it up into 10-minute intervals.
What is the best test for atherosclerosis?
High levels of blood sugar and cholesterol raise your risk of atherosclerosis. A C-reactive protein (CRP) test also may be done to check for a protein linked to inflammation of the arteries. Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This simple and painless test records the electrical signals in your heart. Exercise stress test.
What is the best test to check blood pressure?
Sometimes it is combined with exercise stress testing. Doppler ultrasound. Your doctor may use a special ultrasound device (Doppler ultrasound) to measure your blood pressure at various points along your arm or leg.
Does statin help with fatty deposits?
Aggressively lowering your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the bad cholesterol — can slow, stop or even reverse the buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries. Statins are commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol, improve artery health and prevent atherosclerosis.
What is the best medication for hypertension?
Diuretics. There are three classes of diuretic drugs that are used to treat hypertension. Most commonly used are thiazide diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide or chlorthalidone. There is not usually an increased urine flow after the first one or two days of taking these medications. Nevertheless, it is best to take them in ...
Why are ACEIs used for hypertension?
ACEIs are widely used to treat hypertension because they are effective, have relatively few side effects and in reduce the complications of hypertension such as heart attacks and strokes. They have a special use in patients with diabetes mellitus who have protein the urine (“diabetic nephropathy”) and in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in whom they appeared to have beneficial actions in slowing the loss of kidney function above that achieved by other agents.
What is edecrin used for?
Ethacrinic acid (Edecrin) is used in the rare patients who are allergic to diuretics. Loop diuretics are not as effective as thiazides in lowering blood pressure in patients with hypertension. They are used especially to treat edema (swelling of the ankles) or heart failure.
Why are diuretics important?
Diuretics increase the effectiveness of all other categories of antihypertensives. That is why they are an essential part of almost any multidrug regimen for hypertension. Special Points: Diuretics are the original antihypertensives. Therefore, their efficacy and adverse effects are very well understood.
What is beta blocker?
BETA BLOCKERS, ALPHA BLOCKERS AND SYMPATHOLYTIC DRUGS. This group of drugs was introduced next after diuretics, to be used for hypertension. They act on a part of the nervous system that controls blood pressure, known as the sympathetic nervous system. Blockade of the sympathetic nervous system reduces blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels, ...
How often do you give captopril?
There are some small differences in how long these drugs act in the circulation, they are relatively small and, with the exception of the very short acting captopril, any of these agents are usually affective when given once or sometimes twice daily as antihypertensive agents.
Can diuretics cause low blood pressure?
Over treatment with diuretics can lead to low blood pressure , orthostatic hypotension (weakness, dizziness and possibly fainting on standing) and a feeling of tiredness and lethargy, all of which can be prevented or reversed by holding the diuretic for a day or two and resuming, if necessary, at a lower dosage.
What is the medical term for high blood pressure?
Medications for High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) High blood pressure is a term that is used to acknowledge that a person’s blood pressure is above what is considered normal. High blood pressure is also called hypertension. Measuring somebody's blood pressure gives us an indication of how effectively their heart is working to pump blood ...
Why does blood pressure cause a weak heart?
It also causes the heart to enlarge and weaken because it essentially wears itself out from having to work so hard to push blood around the body. People with high blood pressure are also more likely to develop high cholesterol, kidney and eye problems, and have poor circulation in the legs and feet.
What is the second recording of blood pressure?
The second recording is called diastolic pressure. This measures the resting pressure when the heart relaxes between heartbeats. It is recorded while the blood pressure cuff is deflating.
Why is blood pressure high?
If their heart is having to work very hard to pump blood around their body, then their blood pressure will be high. Blood pressure is composed of two measurements. The first recording is called the systolic pressure and it measures the force the heart must pump against to get blood to flow around the body.
Can high blood pressure cause headaches?
Sometimes people may develop a headache or feel unwell; however, most do not connect these vague symptoms as having to do with their heart. If high blood pressure is left untreated, it can damage the blood vessels and increase a person’s risk of having a stroke or a heart attack.
Should blood pressure be taken before diagnosis?
For this reason, if a doctor or nurse takes your blood pressure and it is high but you don’t have any risk factors or symptoms, then at least two other separate measurements should be taken before you are diagnosed with high blood pressure.
What are the treatments for atherosclerosis?
Medically Reviewed. Prescription drugs, surgery, and heart-healthy lifestyle changes are treatment options for atherosclerosis. Shutterstock (2) Atherosclerosis occurs when fat-containing deposits called plaque form in your arteries, causing them to harden and narrow. This can reduce blood flow to different areas of your body, ...
What is the best medicine for blood pressure?
Diuretics (Water Pills) Diuretics help lower your blood pressure by reducing fluid retention throughout your body. Other Drugs Your doctor may prescribe medication to control specific risk factors for atherosclerosis — like diabetes — or symptoms of atherosclerosis, like leg pain during exercise.
What are the medications that help reduce cholesterol?
Cholesterol Medication Drugs known as statins and fibrates can reduce your LDL (low-density lipoprotein, or "bad") cholesterol, which can help stop or even reverse the buildup of plaque in your arteries. In addition to regulating your cholesterol, statins can help stabilize the lining of your heart arteries and prevent atherosclerosis.
How does a surgeon treat atherosclerosis?
Surgical procedures used to treat atherosclerosis include: Angioplasty In angioplasty, a surgeon inserts a narrow tube into the blocked or narrowed artery and passes a second tube containing a deflated balloon tip through it. The balloon is then inflated, which pushes the blockage open against your artery walls.
How to control risk factors for atherosclerosis?
You can help control risk factors for atherosclerosis and heart disease — such as your weight, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol and glucose levels — by focusing on eating certain foods while avoiding others.
How does ACE inhibitor help with atherosclerosis?
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors ACE inhibitors may help slow the progression of atherosclerosis by lowering your blood pressure and relaxing your blood vessels. They also reduce your risk of having multiple heart attacks.
How to stop atherosclerosis?
Stop smoking. Smoking — or using tobacco in another form — damages your arteries. If you’re a smoker, quitting is the single most effective way to stop your atherosclerosis from getting worse and reduce your risk of complications, according to the Mayo Clinic. (2) Get enough exercise.
What are some examples of blood pressure medications?
Examples are spironolactone (Aldactone, Carospir) and eplerenone (Inspra). How well a drug works for you can depend on your age, sex, race, blood pressure level and overall health.
What are some examples of medications that can cause high blood pressure?
Examples include hydralazine and minoxidil. Aldosterone antagonists. These medications are often used with other drugs, such as a diuretic. Aldosterone antagonists block the hormone aldosterone, which sometimes causes salt and fluid retention, contributing to high blood pressure.
What are some examples of ACE inhibitors?
There are several ACE inhibitors available. Examples include enalapril (Vasotec, Epaned), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril, Qbrelis) and ramipril (Altace). Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). These drugs block the action of angiotensin, a chemical in your body that narrows your arteries and veins.
What are some examples of beta blockers?
Examples of beta blockers include metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol-XL), nadolol (Corgard) and atenolol (Tenormin). Renin inhibitors. Renin is a substance produced by your kidneys that triggers a series of steps that increases blood pressure.
What are some examples of calcium channel blockers?
Examples of calcium channel blockers include amlodipine (Norvasc), diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac, others), nifedipine (Adalat CC, Procardia) and verapamil (Verelan, Calan). Beta blockers. These drugs work by blocking the effects of the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline.
What are the different types of diuretics?
There are three types of diuretics: thiazide, loop and potassium-sparing. Examples of diuretics include chlorothiazide (Diuril), bumetanide (Bumex) and amiloride (Midamor). If diuretics aren't enough to lower your blood pressure, your doctor might recommend adding other blood pressure medications to your treatment.
How well do drugs work?
How well a drug works for you can depend on your age, sex, race, blood pressure level and overall health. Combining two drugs usually works better than a single drug to get your blood pressure under control. Sometimes additional medication is needed to achieve your blood pressure goal.
Disodium Edetate
Disodium edetate is prescribed• In emergency situations to lower the levels of excess calcium in the blood• To control irregular heartbeats or ventricular arrhythmias that occur due to accumulation of toxic levels of digitalis / digoxin, a drug given for heart conditionsDisodium edetate is also known as disodium EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid)..
Evolocumab
Evolocumab is prescribed as an adjunct to a low-fat diet and other cholesterol medications in treating patients with high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total cholesterol, heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) or homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH); HeFH and HoFH are inherited conditions in which cholesterol is not removed from the body..
Policosanol
Policosanol is prescribed to decrease the amount of cholesterol in the blood by reducing the cholesterol synthesis in the liver and increasing the breakdown of bad or LDL cholesterol.
What are some examples of angiotensin II blockers?
Examples of commonly prescribed angiotensin II receptor blockers are candesartan, losartan, telmisartan, valsartan, and others. ARBs should not be taken by pregnant women, ...
What are ACE inhibitors used for?
ACE inhibitors allow blood vessels to expand so that blood can flow more easily and the heart can work more efficiently.
What is the difference between calcium channel blockers and potassium channel blockers?
Calcium-channel blockers are sometimes used as antiarrhythmics, blocking nerve impulses that may make the heart beat faster. Potassium-channel blockers are antiarrhythmic agents that slow heartbeat rates by blocking potassium channels in the heart.
What are some examples of alpha blockers?
Examples of alpha blockers are doxazosin, prazosin, and terazosin. Antiarrhythmics include several categories of medicines that correct and prevent irregular heartbeats. Beta-blockers are antiarrhythmic medicines that make the heart beat slower. Calcium-channel blockers are sometimes used as antiarrhythmics, blocking nerve impulses ...
What is the effect of calcium channel blockers on blood vessels?
Calcium-channel blockers cause blood vessels to dilate or widen, thereby reducing hypertension, by reducing the calcium concentration in their cells. Some of these medicines are also used as antiarrhythmics, blocking nerve impulses that may make the heart beat faster.
What is a beta blocker?
Beta-blockers are antiarrhythmic medicines that make the heart beat slower and with less force by reducing nerve impulses to the heart and blood vessels. They may be used for treating arrhythmias, high blood pressure, heart failure, or angina, or to help prevent further heart attacks.
How does sodium channel blocker work?
Sodium-channel blockers help to reduce heartbeat rates by slowing electrical conduction in the heart. Antibiotics are used to gain control of an infection of the heart (bacterial pericarditis) before damage occurs. Patients receive strong doses of antibiotics (often intravenously) over the course of several weeks.
Diagnosis
Treatment
Clinical Trials
- Explore Mayo Clinic studiestesting new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
- Lifestyle changes can help you prevent or slow the progression of atherosclerosis. 1. Stop smoking.Smoking damages your arteries. Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do to keep your arteries healthy and prevent atherosclerosis complications. 2. Exercise most days of the week. Regular exercise improves blood flow, lowers blood pressure, and reduces your risk of co…
Alternative Medicine
- It's thought that some foods and herbal supplements can help reduce your high cholesterol level and high blood pressure, two major risk factors for developing atherosclerosis. With your doctor's OK, you might consider these supplements and products: 1. Alpha-linolenic acid 2. Barley 3. Beta-sitosterol (found in supplements and some margarines, such...
Preparing For Your Appointment
- If you think you may have atherosclerosis or are worried about having atherosclerosis because of a strong family history of heart disease, make an appointment with your doctor to have your cholesterol level checked. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment and know what to expect from your doctor.
Treatment
- There are three classes of diuretic drugs that are used to treat hypertension. Most commonly used are thiazide diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide or chlorthalidone. There is not usually an increased urine flow after the first one or two days of taking these medications. Nevertheless, it is best to take them in the morning to prevent annoying uri...
Interactions
- Diuretics increase the effectiveness or all other classes of antihypertensive agents. Therefore, almost any subject, except those with a contraindication, should receive a diuretic if their blood pressure requires more than one drug for its management.
Adverse effects
- Adverse Effects: Diuretics increase the excretion of potassium and can lead to hypokalemia (low blood potassium concentration) which predisposes to irregular heart beats, and muscular weakness. However, a combination of a thiazide or loop diuretic with a distal, potassium sparing agent (such as in the combined medications, Maxzide or Moduretic), prevents potassium loss a…
Types
- Different Drugs: Thiazide diuretics include: hydrochlorothiazide (usual starting dose 12.5 to 25 mg daily) or chlorthalidone (similar dose range). Loop diuretics include: furosemide (Lasix), bumetanide (Bumex), and torsemide (Demadex), torsemide has a rather longer duration and is preferred in patients with heart failure. Ethacrinic acid (Edecrin) is used in the rare patients who …
Medical uses
- ACEIs are widely used to treat hypertension because they are effective, have relatively few side effects and in reduce the complications of hypertension such as heart attacks and strokes. They have a special use in patients with diabetes mellitus who have protein the urine (diabetic nephropathy) and in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in whom they appeared to have …
Examples
- Individual Drugs: The following are examples of ACEIs in clinical practice: benazepril (Mylan), captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril (Monopril), Lisinopril (Prinivil), moexipril (Univasc), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace) and trandolapril (Mavik). There are some small differences in how long these drugs act in the circulation, they are relatively small and, with the e…
Side effects
- Biochemical changes with ACEIs are usually insignificant in patients with normal kidney function. However, in those with impaired kidneys, they can raise the serum potassium concentration to levels that are dangerous and require either a change in therapy, or increasing thiazide or loop diuretic dosage to promote potassium loss. Such patients should discuss with their physician o…
Contraindications
- Special Indications: As these include patients with chronic kidney disease (but see the adverse effects above), early diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, or left ventricular hypertrophy. These drugs will not be discussed in detail since they are used infrequently.
Mechanism of action
- This group of drugs was introduced next after diuretics, to be used for hypertension. They act on a part of the nervous system that controls blood pressure, known as the sympathetic nervous system. Blockade of the sympathetic nervous system reduces blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels, and decreasing the rate and force of contraction of the heart. Therefore, beta blockers a…
Pharmacology
- The actions of these agents are enhanced in patients taking diuretic drugs and therefore are a good second or third line selection in those patients who are not controlled with a diuretic and an ACEI or ARB. Unfortunately, alpha blockers have been shown to be less affective than other groups of blood pressure lowering agents in preventing the complications of heart failure and he…
Categories
- Individual drugs: They fall into two categories. The first are called dihydropyridine CCBs and include amlodipine (Norvasc), felodipine (Plendil), nifedipine (Procardia), and nicardipine (Cardene). The second, termed nondihydropyridine CCBs include two drugs, diltiazem (Dilacor, Cardizem, Cartia, and Tiazac), and verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan). Both groups are e…
Effects
- Non-dihydropyridine CCBs cause cardiac slowing. This typically reduces the heart rate by about 10%. It can be beneficial in some patients with a fast heart rate or who have irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation), but in those with a slow initial heart rate, it can cause symptoms of decreased cardiac output (tiredness, lethargy, and dizziness on exertion). This group of drugs also can cau…
Research
- This is a rapidly developing field with extensive research, both by Centre scientists in the laboratory and clinical investigators in patients with hypertension. The following outlines some of the areas of research conducted at the Centre at Georgetown. Research at the Hypertension, Kidney and Vascular Research Centre at Georgetown has focused on a different path, namely dr…
Pathophysiology
- Oxidative stress occurs in cells and tissues of the body when oxygen reacts to form toxic molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS). These can inactivate the normal signaling pathways between cells, damage cell membranes and proteins, and alter the DNA that forms the basis of our genes. Therefore, oxidative stress has widespread effects in the body. Increasing ev…
Cause
- Amongst those factors that are under our control which influence the probability of developing hypertension, an excessive dietary salt intake is probably the most important. Research in animal models at Georgetown at the Center for Hypertension, Kidney, and Vascular Research has linked dietary salt intake with oxidative stress that may underlie the hypertension and adverse consequ…
Resources
- For further information about how to support the research in Georgetown Universitys Center for Hypertension, Kidney, and Vascular Research, please see Georgetown Universitys Office of Advancement.