When a patient is diagnosed with acute or chronic hypertension, the clinician may prescribe antihypertensive agents. Some of the most commonly applied antihypertensive agents involve various diuretics, adrenergic beta antagonists, adrenergic alpha antagonists, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium channel B blockers, ganglionic blockers and vasodilator agents.
When the patient is suffering from chronic hypertension with excessive accumulation of body fluids, then the clinician may prescribe diuretics. The diuretics belong to a class of antihypertensive agents that increases the fluid output. Angiotensin enzyme inhibitors also known as ACE inhibitors are used in order to treat patient who has high blood pressure as well as heart failure.
The ACE inhibitors not only bring down the blood pressure to normal range but they also prevents heart attacks. This is also used in order to reduce the effect of antihypertensive agents on the renal system. The ACE inhibits also reverse the effects of hypertension like thickening of the vessels supplying blood to the heart. Another class of drugs that is typically associated with the treatment of chronic hypertension is the calcium blockers. This drug is also used as a preventive medicine in order to avoid heart attacks. The various drugs used for treating hypertension are also applied for the treatment of various other diseases associated with the circulatory system.