Pharmacological treatment of hypertension is not as effective as it should be, despite the fact that there are plenty of antihypertensive drugs, ie drugs lowering blood pressure. Treatment effectiveness could be improved if antihypertensive medications were always well chosen and if the patient and the doctor worked closely together. Check how drugs lowering the pressure work and how to choose them.

Hypertension treatmentpharmacological treatment is not as effective as it should be, despite the fact that there are many antihypertensive drugs, ie drugs lowering blood pressure. Treatment effectiveness could be improved if antihypertensive medications were always well matched, and the patient and the doctor worked closely together.Hypertension medicationsmust be taken constantly to avoid complications that can be caused by essential hypertension . The systematic use of antihypertensive drugs is therefore of great importance. However, it is equally important to choose a combination of drugs. This is because relatively rarely it is only one preparation. In 80 percent. cases, 2 or 3 medications are used that act on different mechanisms of hypertension. In addition, the doctor must take into account the comorbidities, as well as the patient's lifestyle and even gender. Composing a set of antihypertensive preparations is a bit like composing a puzzle. The pieces of the puzzle must match.

Hypertension treatment - matching medications for hypertension

As far as possible, doctors try to select antihypertensive preparations so that it is enough to use them once or twice a day. They know that patients forget to take their medications in the middle of the day. However, there are situations when it is more advantageous to divide the doses into several portions so that there are no large fluctuations in pressure during the day. Then you should take the medication three times a day. If this is the case for you, try to develop your own mid-day reminder system. For example, it could be an alarm on a mobile phone.

The physician, when choosing antihypertensive drugs, takes into account that some of them make perfect combinations, while others are not recommended. However, it must also take into account the chronic diseases coexisting with hypertension, e.g. some beta-blockers are not indicated for patients with asthma. They can cause a sharp bronchospasm.These preparations are also not a good choice in the case of diabetes. By slowing down the heart rate, they mask one of the symptoms of hypoglycemia - the acceleration of the pulse. Therefore, a diabetic may not notice a drop in blood glucose and not react quickly enough. An important issue is also the interaction of antihypertensive drugs with other drugs taken chronically by the patient, e.g. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, contraceptive pills and agents used in hormone replacement therapy weaken the effect of antihypertensive drugs, which must be taken into account by the doctor when determining their doses.

Important

Hypertension treatment: aspirin is still valid

It is not a hypotensive drug, but it protects against the most dangerous complications of hypertension - heart attack and stroke. It is acetylsalicylic acid, i.e. aspirin, in cardiac doses (75 mg). It is recommended for people over 50 or with significant cardiovascular risk, if there are no contraindications (e.g. asthma, gout). Aspirin, unlike non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, does not weaken the effect of antihypertensive drugs, but it can be added to the therapy only after the blood pressure is normalized.

Hypertension drugs: one pill is still a dream

A simple treatment regimen is conducive to adherence to therapeutic recommendations. A few years ago, the idea of ​​polypill was created - a multi-ingredient pill that would contain 4 or even 5 long-acting drugs. It is easier to remember one tablet taken in the morning than a handful of pills taken at different times of the day.

For now, you cannot count on such simplification of therapy, because pharmaceutical companies have not shown interest in this idea for economic reasons. In addition, there were concerns that if side effects occurred after taking such a pill, it would be difficult to determine which ingredient caused them.

But complex preparations have been developed, usually combining drugs from two groups (e.g. beta-blockers with calcium antagonists or with convertase inhibitors) and long-acting ones. They increase the effectiveness of healing because they simplify it.

Treatment of hypertension - cooperation facilitates pressure control

A doctor will not create a pharmaceutical puzzle without your cooperation. Inform him about all your illnesses and chronic medications, as well as about your lifestyle. At the beginning of therapy, measure blood pressure twice a day (morning and evening) and record its values. This will allow you to assess whether the combination of drugs for high blood pressure is appropriate or if something needs to be changed. It is extremely important to follow the recommendationstherapeutic.

Ask your doctor what to do if the pressure becomes too low or suddenly rises. I will instruct you on the doses of which drugs you can reduce or increase, and which you must not change. Never modify them yourself!

Try to change your lifestyle in accordance with the doctor's instructions and systematically take the medications prescribed by him. Do not give up therapy if you experience side effects, e.g. drowsiness, headache, feeling hot, dry cough. Tell the doctor about them. He may change the dose of the drug or replace it with a different one.

Do not stop taking your medication once your blood pressure is normal. This shows not a cure, but the effectiveness of the therapy. If you cooperate with your doctor, its effects should be noticeable after just two weeks.

Meet home remedies to lower blood pressure

Important

Drugs for hypertension - 6 main groups of antihypertensive drugs

  • Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors - reduce blood pressure through complex biochemical processes. In addition, they improve the heart efficiency (so they are recommended after a heart attack, especially in the case of damage to the heart muscle) and usually do not adversely affect male potency. However, preparations from this group cause a dry cough in some patients.
  • Angiotensin II receptor antagonists - have a similar effect because they are "related" to convertase inhibitors. They do not make you cough.
  • Diuretics, or diuretics - release sodium from the body, and with it water. They are administered not only in hypertension, but also in heart failure, when there are edema. Most diuretics lower the level of potassium in the blood, therefore the deficiency of this mineral must be replaced, which means taking an additional preparation. Few have the opposite effect - they increase the level of potassium.
  • Calcium antagonists - inhibit the influx of calcium ions to muscle cells, which in turn reduces blood pressure. Some of them slow down the heart rate, while others make it faster or have no effect on it.
  • Beta-blockers, also called beta-blockers - lower blood pressure and slow heart rate. Therefore, they can be combined with drugs that speed them up.
  • Alpha-blockers - dilate the arteries. Currently less used, they are most often prescribed to men who have high blood pressure and benign prostatic hyperplasia because they also improve urine flow.

Treatment of hypertension and statins

Statins, vastatins are a group of antiatherosclerotic drugs that lower blood cholesterol levels. Sometimes the only option is to take statins. Without delayThey are also given to people who have had a heart attack or stroke, or whose kidneys are damaged due to high cholesterol levels. Taking statins improves the lipid profile, i.e. lowers the level of total cholesterol and LDL fraction, increases HDL and moderately lowers the concentration of triglycerides. It gives measurable he alth effects. Unfortunately, statins can have side effects that mainly occur with chronic high-dose treatment.

Worth knowing

Watch out for potassium

The most important function of potassium is to regulate the body's water balance, control blood pressure and kidney function. Meanwhile, dehydrating preparations make us excrete more potassium in the urine than we provide in normal food. But among the drugs for high blood pressure there are also drugs that "conserve" potassium and even increase its concentration (eg converting enzyme inhibitors, aldosterone antagonists, sartans). Therefore, during the treatment, the doctor checks the level of the element in the blood and, if necessary, recommends supplementing it with an appropriate diet or preparations. Swelling, muscle cramps and fatigue may indicate a deficiency. However, potassium preparations must not be taken on your own. A sharp increase in the level of this element in the blood, when combined with some antihypertensive drugs, can seriously affect the work of the heart.

Treatment of hypertension - medications for high blood pressure must be taken regularly and at the right time

The effectiveness of the treatment of hypertension depends on it. Take the first dose of medication in the morning, immediately after waking up. Blood pressure is at its highest at this time of day, so the peak blood pressure during the day meets the drug's peak effect. Take the drug before eating, because then they are better absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. You can do this during a meal if they cause digestive discomfort.

Take the tablets with non-carbonated water (this is important because, for example, grapefruit juice can change the effects of some medications). Take medications to lower blood pressure at intervals determined by your doctor. What to do when you forget about the next portion? Delay within 1-2 hours usually does not matter, and in the case of preparations taken once a day, it may be up to several hours.

But beware: do not cumulate doses, as this may result in fainting or even unconsciousness. There will be fewer side effects when skipping a single dose than doubling it, although they can be unpleasant (e.g. increasing the pulse if you forget to take beta-blockers).

Worth knowing

Remember about the side effects of taking antihypertensive medications

The cough may be the result of taking, for example, convertase inhibitors. Dry, exhausting cough is the most common side effect of these preparations. It usually occurs at the beginning of treatment, but can also occur during treatment - often triggered by an upper respiratory tract infection. The problem is that such a cough is difficult to get rid of. Instead of waiting for it to pass by itself, it's better to contact your doctor. You may have to discontinue the medication (this symptom applies to the entire group of preparations, so switching to another preparation with the same active substance usually does not help).

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Cardiology