High Blood Pressure Treatment - Drugs to Treat High Blood Pressure
Treatment The general measures for a patient of hypertension are: relief from emotional stress;Lifestyle modifications, including dietary management and regular exercise.
The relief from emotional stress and environmental changes help in controlling the blood pressure to some extent, although, keeping the patient away from internal stress is difficult.
Lifestyle Modifications: There are three aspects which need to be considered in dietary management of hypertension.
Reduction of sodium intake: Sodium chloride or common salt is known to cause fluid retention, thereby increasing the blood volume in the body.
Based on this, the patient are instructed to curtail salt intake, but most patients are unable or unwilling to do so.
It is advisable not to add additional salt in cooked food.
Processed food containing a large amount of salt should be avoided.
Salty foodstuffs such as pickles, namkins, and papad should be avoided.
The use of diuretics, which increase the formation of urine, in the treatment of hypertension, has provided an additional method of decreasing body sodium stores, and the most practical approach now is to advise mild dietary salt restriction to less than 6 g salt per day - a little less than a level teaspoon in conjunction with a diuretic drug.
Caloric restriction: It has been found that in obese or overweight patients, a reduction in weight helps in normalising the blood pressure in 75% cases even without the salt restriction.
Foods to be eaten and avoided and the role of exercises are mentioned in the chapter on 'Slimming Drugs'.
Restriction in the intake of saturated fat: This is necessary in patients of hypertension as it is believed that this increases the risk of development of arteriosclerosis.
Table given below gives guideline for dietary regulations and life style modifications.
Drugs The treatment of hypertension requires a careful approach, depending upon the response of the patient.
Drugs are required for life long and regular use is a must.
Thiazide Diuretics Hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrex), Polythiazide (Nephril), Chlorthalidone (Hythalton), Hydroflumethiazide (Diademil), Indapamide (Natrilix) Xipamide (Xipamid) These drugs are slow acting but very effective in small doses.
They reduce blood volume for a short period of time but their main effect is on the blood vessels which tend to relax with their use.
These drugs increase the BP lowering effect of other drugs.
It has been reported that with these oral diuretics, in 40% cases of mild to moderate hypertension, the BP returns to normal.
In the remaining 60% cases, even if the response is not adequate, the action of other anti-hypertensive drugs is significantly enhanced.
This enhancement of the effect is related to the control of sodium ions.
The most.
popularly employed agent amongst these is hydrochlorothiazide.
Thiazides are effective in kidney stones also.
They also preserve mineral content of bones which is additional benefit in the elderly.
Dosage: Hydrochlorothiazide is available in the form of tablets of 25 and 50 mg and its recommended dose is 12.
5 to 50 mg daily, to be taken in the morning.
Adverse Effects: Diuretics are generally well tolerated drugs.
Common adverse effects are dizziness and dryness of mouth.
They can also cause skin allergy.
A number of metabolic changes are reported on long term use, including lower sodium and potassium levels in the body.
Reduction in potassium may cause muscle weakness and in very rare cases irregular heart activity.
Therefore, supplementation of potassium (fruit juice, oral potassium chloride syrup) is a must with diuretics.
Diuretics may worsen preexisting diabetes, increase blood calcium (thiazides) or decrease calcium (frusemide) and most importantly may increase 'bad' lipid levels in blood.
In some cases gout gets worsened due to increased uric acid retention in the body.
Thiazides lose efficacy in the presence of poor kidney function (if blood urea and serum creatinine levels are high).
Frusemide is effective even if kidney function is impaired.
Precautions: Careful use of diuretics can reduce the incidence of adverse events.
These should be taken in the morning and not at night.
Potassium supplementation is usually not required with low doses of diuretics.
Diabetics, patients with high blood lipids and those with gouty arthritis should seek regular medical advice and get appropriate blood tests done regularly if they are taking diuretics.
The relief from emotional stress and environmental changes help in controlling the blood pressure to some extent, although, keeping the patient away from internal stress is difficult.
Lifestyle Modifications: There are three aspects which need to be considered in dietary management of hypertension.
Reduction of sodium intake: Sodium chloride or common salt is known to cause fluid retention, thereby increasing the blood volume in the body.
Based on this, the patient are instructed to curtail salt intake, but most patients are unable or unwilling to do so.
It is advisable not to add additional salt in cooked food.
Processed food containing a large amount of salt should be avoided.
Salty foodstuffs such as pickles, namkins, and papad should be avoided.
The use of diuretics, which increase the formation of urine, in the treatment of hypertension, has provided an additional method of decreasing body sodium stores, and the most practical approach now is to advise mild dietary salt restriction to less than 6 g salt per day - a little less than a level teaspoon in conjunction with a diuretic drug.
Caloric restriction: It has been found that in obese or overweight patients, a reduction in weight helps in normalising the blood pressure in 75% cases even without the salt restriction.
Foods to be eaten and avoided and the role of exercises are mentioned in the chapter on 'Slimming Drugs'.
Restriction in the intake of saturated fat: This is necessary in patients of hypertension as it is believed that this increases the risk of development of arteriosclerosis.
Table given below gives guideline for dietary regulations and life style modifications.
Drugs The treatment of hypertension requires a careful approach, depending upon the response of the patient.
Drugs are required for life long and regular use is a must.
Thiazide Diuretics Hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrex), Polythiazide (Nephril), Chlorthalidone (Hythalton), Hydroflumethiazide (Diademil), Indapamide (Natrilix) Xipamide (Xipamid) These drugs are slow acting but very effective in small doses.
They reduce blood volume for a short period of time but their main effect is on the blood vessels which tend to relax with their use.
These drugs increase the BP lowering effect of other drugs.
It has been reported that with these oral diuretics, in 40% cases of mild to moderate hypertension, the BP returns to normal.
In the remaining 60% cases, even if the response is not adequate, the action of other anti-hypertensive drugs is significantly enhanced.
This enhancement of the effect is related to the control of sodium ions.
The most.
popularly employed agent amongst these is hydrochlorothiazide.
Thiazides are effective in kidney stones also.
They also preserve mineral content of bones which is additional benefit in the elderly.
Dosage: Hydrochlorothiazide is available in the form of tablets of 25 and 50 mg and its recommended dose is 12.
5 to 50 mg daily, to be taken in the morning.
Adverse Effects: Diuretics are generally well tolerated drugs.
Common adverse effects are dizziness and dryness of mouth.
They can also cause skin allergy.
A number of metabolic changes are reported on long term use, including lower sodium and potassium levels in the body.
Reduction in potassium may cause muscle weakness and in very rare cases irregular heart activity.
Therefore, supplementation of potassium (fruit juice, oral potassium chloride syrup) is a must with diuretics.
Diuretics may worsen preexisting diabetes, increase blood calcium (thiazides) or decrease calcium (frusemide) and most importantly may increase 'bad' lipid levels in blood.
In some cases gout gets worsened due to increased uric acid retention in the body.
Thiazides lose efficacy in the presence of poor kidney function (if blood urea and serum creatinine levels are high).
Frusemide is effective even if kidney function is impaired.
Precautions: Careful use of diuretics can reduce the incidence of adverse events.
These should be taken in the morning and not at night.
Potassium supplementation is usually not required with low doses of diuretics.
Diabetics, patients with high blood lipids and those with gouty arthritis should seek regular medical advice and get appropriate blood tests done regularly if they are taking diuretics.
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