This group of drugs is prescribed by doctors to help their patients treat blood pressure, and they all can be categorized as the following:
Thiazide diuretics, or water pills, such as Lasix, that acts on kidneys to help the body to eliminate water and sodium, thus, decreasing blood volume. The most popular choices include chlorthalidone, Microzide and others.
Beta blockers work by decreasing the workload on the heart and opening blood vessels, thus, causing the heart to beat slower. This group of drugs for blood pressure includes atenolol, acebutolol, etc.
ACE inhibitors, such as Capoten, Lotensin, Zestril and others, help patients by relaxing blood vessels and blocking the formation of natural chemicals responsible for narrowing them.
ARB blockers help users relax their blood vessels by blocking action of natural chemicals that narrow them, and they include Cozaar, Atacand and others.
Calcium channel blockers include Norvasc, Tiazac and other brand names that work by relaxing the muscles of blood vessels, and some of them may slow down heart rates, too.
Renin inhibitors, like Tekturna, slow down the production of renin, which is an important enzyme produced by kidneys.