Choose the correct hypertensive drug

Hypertensive or blood pressure medication should always ensure the best outcome for the patient. This should be taken care by the doctors in order to avoid the side effects relating to these drugs. Several different drugs lower blood pressure effectively. According to researchers at Texas University it is necessary to find out which to prescribe.Recent trials show that there are striking differences between these drugs when it comes to reducing the risk of complications of high blood pressure - stroke, heart attack and heart failure.

For instance, angiotension converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are more effective than other drugs in reducing the risk of heart attack. And the long-acting calcium channel blockers are linked to a 20 per cent higher risk of heart attack and heart failure in comparison with other drugs. When a new blood pressure drug comes out, it should be compared in a 'head to head' trial with conventional therapy - usually a low-dose diuretic. Henceforth doctors should be looking not just at how well a drug lowers blood pressure but also at its effectiveness at preventing stroke, heart attack and heart failure.