Medications for Hypertension
The use of any of the five major drug classes — angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, calcium blockers, and thiazide/thiazide-like diuretics — and their combinations are recommended as the basis of antihypertensive treatment strategies.
Dr. Yang said primary care clinicians must be careful to decrease doses slowly. Central-acting medications such as clonidine and beta-blockers ultimately reduce heart rate and dilate blood vessels.
Decreasing the dose too quickly can create a rebound effect, and medication should be means reduced and closely monitored over the course of several weeks, Dr. Yang said.
“You cannot just withdraw abruptly with certain medications — you have to wean off slowly,” because patients may experience high blood pressure again, Dr. Yang said.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.