Cardiovascular drugs include anti- hypertensive drugs that are specifically indicated to lower high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a result of many factors including inappropriate diet, unhealthy lifestyle, obesity, genetic factors, and state of health (presence of other diseases such as diabetes) and sometimes brought about by the side effects of some medicines.
There are several classes of drugs use as anti- hypertensive drugs and each class has different mechanisms of action to lower blood pressure.
Diuretics – These agents increase urine volume or output. One factor that causes hypertension is the high level of sodium in the blood. Usually diuretics are combined with other drugs to achieve the ideal level of blood pressure.
Calcium channel blockers – This class of anti- hypertensive drugs are the most trusted to lower blood pressure. Their therapeutic action involves the prevention of calcium entry into the cardiac and smooth muscle and in turn decreases blood pressure.
Vasodilators- These agents directly dilate blood vessels to lower blood pressure. They are indicated for severe hypertension.
The anti-lipidemics or anti-cholesterol drugs- High cholesterol level in the blood is one of the major causes of hypertension. Fat deposits in blood vessels cause atherosclerosis or the hardening of veins. These agents exert their effect by binding with cholesterol or triglycerides that circulates within the blood stream and facilitates their excretion.
There are still other classes of drugs that lower high blood pressure, their effectiveness varies from person to person. You can evaluate the effectiveness of anti- hypertensive drugs by simply monitoring its effect on the blood pressure. If the blood pressure becomes normal, then it is effective.
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