Antihypertensive drug
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Antihypertensive drug
Antihypertensive drugs (pronounced: an-tee-hy-per-TEN-siv drugs) are a class of medications that are used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure).
Etymology
The term "antihypertensive" is derived from "anti-" meaning against, and "hypertensive," referring to high blood pressure.
Types of Antihypertensive Drugs
There are several types of antihypertensive drugs, each working in a different way to lower blood pressure. These include:
- Diuretics: These increase the amount of salt and water that comes out through your urine, which lowers your blood pressure.
- Beta blockers: These reduce the heart rate, the heart's workload and the heart's output of blood, which lowers blood pressure.
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors: These prevent the formation of a hormone called angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels to narrow.
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs): These block the action of angiotensin II, allowing blood vessels to widen.
- Calcium channel blockers: These prevent calcium from entering the smooth muscle cells of the heart and arteries, which causes the blood vessels to relax and pressure to decrease.
Related Terms
- Hypertension
- Blood Pressure
- Medication
- Diuretics
- Beta blockers
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
- Calcium channel blockers
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Antihypertensive drug
- Wikipedia's article - Antihypertensive drug
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski