High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition that affects one in four American adults
What you should know:
•1 in 4 American adults has hypertension
•There are five types of medications
•Side effects vary with each medication
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Transcript
Hi, I’m Cordell Brown, I’m a CVS pharmacist. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition that affects one in four American adults. It can be serious, but fortunately there are a lot of medications to treat it.
Calcium channel blockers stop calcium from moving across the cell layer to help reduce the force of heart and muscle contractions. Side effects can include dizziness, fluid build-up in the legs, and rapid heart rate.
Peripheral vasodilators act by relaxing the blood vessels. Side effects of this drug include dizziness and orthostatic hypotension, which is a rapid lowering of blood pressure when a person stands up in the morning. Rising slowly out of bed reduces the effects.
Alpha and beta blockers work by making sure the contractions of the muscles in the arteries, veins, and heart are normal. Beta-blockers can cause heart abnormalities, including an irregular beat.
ACE inhibitors and ARBs help block angiotension II, a substance that constrict blood vessels and retains sodium. ACE inhibitors should not be used during pregnancy and may cause a persistent cough. ARBs are also well tolerated and do not cause the cough associated with ACE inhibitors.
Thiazide diuretics help lower blood pressure by promoting sodium loss. Typically this is recommended for mild hypertension and is often used in combination with the drugs mentioned earlier. It may cause potassium depletion, and routine use during pregnancy is not recommended.
I hope this helps explain blood pressure treatments. If you have any questions, talk to your CVS pharmacist. We’re here to help.
Source: CVS Caremark Health Resources
Duration : 0:1:53
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