An antihypertensive is a medicine used to lower or control high blood pressure.
Antihypertensive medicines work in different ways. Some reduce the amount of fluid and sodium in the body, while others relax blood vessels, reduce the force or rate of the heartbeat, or interfere with hormonal systems that regulate blood pressure.
Several classes of antihypertensive medicines are available, and treatment may involve one medicine or a combination of medicines depending on the person’s blood pressure and overall health.
QUICK FACT
There is no single “antihypertensive drug.” Antihypertensives are a broad group of medicines with different mechanisms of action.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
Blood pressure medication — These terms are often used interchangeably, but “antihypertensive” is the more precise medical term for medicines used to lower blood pressure.
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