Medication and hypertension

Doctors can choose from an abundant selection of medications to treat hypertension, including many preparations that combine one or more drugs. Many newer drugs that treat hypertension have a slightly different chemical structure from older drugs, but produce nearly identical effects in the body. Others act in entirely different ways. Doctors can tailor treatment to the individual patient and can often prescribe a drug that controls blood pressure, produces few or no side effects, and, hopefully, protects against complications. Most important, it’s often possible to use a single medication to treat both the hypertension and accompanying medical problems, like congestive heart failure. As always, your doctor is the best source of information on how to treat your condition.