Antihypertensive Drugs

Antihypertensive drugs are a frequently prescribed class of medications for management of hypertension or high blood pressure. Hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disorders, and optimal management has shown to lower risk and improve health outcomes in patients with cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure, heart attack, and cardiac arrhythmias. The management of hypertension has advanced over the years with the availability of multiple antihypertensive agents. Prior to initiating antihypertensive drugs, it is essential to determine the cause of hypertension. Hypertension can be classified as essential hypertension, where an identifiable cause of high blood pressure does not exist, or secondary hypertension, where high blood pressure is due to a specific cause or etiology, for example, kidney disease or is drug induced. The latter ...