Blood pressure medication

Blood Pressure Medication

Blood pressure medication refers to a variety of pharmaceutical drugs used in the treatment of hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure. Pronunciation: /blʌd 'preʃər ,medɪ'keɪʃn/.

Etymology

The term "blood pressure medication" is derived from the English words "blood", "pressure", and "medication". "Blood" comes from the Old English "blod", "pressure" from the Latin "pressura", meaning pressing, and "medication" from the Latin "medicatio", meaning healing.

Types of Blood Pressure Medication

There are several types of blood pressure medications, each working in a different way to lower blood pressure. These include:

• Diuretics: These help the kidneys remove more sodium and water from the body, which helps to relax the blood vessel walls and lower 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
• Pharmaceutical drugs
• Diuretics
• Beta blockers
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
• Calcium channel blockers

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