Choosing blood pressure medicines

Many medicines are available to treat high blood pressure. Choosing the right one can be tricky. Learn how to find the best one for you.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

There are many different types of blood pressure medicines. Medicines to treat high blood pressure are sometimes called antihypertensives. Choosing the right blood pressure medicine can be challenging. Your health care team may recommend more than one type of medicine to treat high blood pressure.

Always take blood pressure medicines as directed and get regular blood pressure checkups.

Lifestyle changes

Healthy lifestyle habits are suggested to control and manage high blood pressure. If your blood pressure is high or slightly above what is considered ideal, a healthy lifestyle might prevent or reduce your need for medicine.

Try these tips.

  • Eat a healthy diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products.
  • Use less salt.
  • Manage stress.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Develop healthy sleeping habits so you get a good night's rest.
  • Get regular exercise. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week. It's OK to break up your activity into three 10-minute sessions a day.
  • Avoid or limit alcohol. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.

Medicine options

Sometimes lifestyle changes are not enough to treat high blood pressure. If not, your health care team may recommend blood pressure medicine.

The type of medicine used to treat high blood pressure depends on your overall health and how high your blood pressure is. Two or more blood pressure medicines often work better than one. It can take some time to find the best medicine or combination of medicines.

Medicines to treat high blood pressure include:

  • Water pills, also called diuretics. These medicines remove extra water and sodium from the body. So, there's less fluid flowing through the veins and arteries. This reduces pressure on the walls of the blood vessels. Types of diuretics include thiazide, loop and potassium-sparing.
  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. These medicines help relax blood vessels. They block the formation of a natural chemical that narrows blood vessels.
  • Angiotensin 2 receptor blockers (ARBs). These medicines block the action of angiotensin. Angiotensin is a chemical the body makes that narrows blood vessels.
  • Calcium channel blockers. These medicines stop calcium from entering the cells of the heart and arteries. This allows the arteries to relax and open.
  • Beta blockers. These medicines help the heart beat slower and with less force.
  • Renin inhibitors. Renin is a substance made by the kidneys. It triggers a series of steps that increases blood pressure. Renin inhibitors slow how much of this substance is made.

Other medicines for high blood pressure

If you cannot reach your blood pressure goal with one or more of the above medicines, your doctor may prescribe:

  • Aldosterone antagonists. These medicines often are used with other blood pressure treatments, such as a diuretic. They block a hormone called aldosterone. That hormone sometimes causes sodium and fluid to build up in the body. This can cause high blood pressure. Aldosterone antagonists may be prescribed if high blood pressure is difficult to control or if you have diabetes or heart failure.
  • Alpha blockers. These medicines prevent a hormone called norepinephrine from tightening the muscles in the walls of smaller arteries and veins. This lets the arteries and veins stay open and relaxed.
  • Alpha-beta blockers. These medicines work similarly to beta blockers. They might be prescribed if you have high blood pressure and are at risk of heart failure.
  • Central-acting agents. These medicines stop the brain from sending signals to the nervous system to speed up the heart rate and narrow the blood vessels. As a result, the heart does not pump as hard and the blood flows more easily through the veins and arteries.
  • Vasodilators. These medicines prevent the muscles in the veins and arteries from tightening and narrowing. As a result, blood flows more easily and the heart does not have to pump as hard.

Reaching your blood pressure goal

Both lifestyle changes and medicine are often needed to help control blood pressure. You may need to try several medicines or doses before finding what works best for you.

Regularly checking your blood pressure at home can help you and your health care team know if your treatment is working. Home blood pressure monitors are widely available. You do not need a prescription to buy one. Home blood pressure checks do not replace visits to a health care professional.

Talk to your health care team if you have any questions about your blood pressure and the medicines you take.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

We use the data you provide to deliver you the content you requested. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, we may combine your email and website data with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, we will only use your protected health information as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices. You may opt out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the email.

Feb. 21, 2025 See more In-depth

See also

  1. Alcohol: Does it affect blood pressure?
  2. Alpha blockers
  3. Amputation and diabetes
  4. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
  5. Angiotensin II receptor blockers
  6. Anxiety: A cause of high blood pressure?
  7. Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis
  8. Artificial sweeteners: Any effect on blood sugar?
  9. #AskMayoMom Pediatric Urology
  10. Beta blockers
  11. Beta blockers: Do they cause weight gain?
  12. Beta blockers: How do they affect exercise?
  13. Birth control pill FAQ
  14. Blood glucose meters
  15. Blood glucose monitors
  16. Blood pressure: Can it be higher in one arm?
  17. Blood pressure chart
  18. Blood pressure cuff: Does size matter?
  19. Blood pressure: Does it have a daily pattern?
  20. Blood pressure: Is it affected by cold weather?
  21. Blood pressure medication: Still necessary if I lose weight?
  22. Blood pressure medications: Can they raise my triglycerides?
  23. Blood pressure readings: Why higher at home?
  24. Blood pressure test
  25. Blood sugar levels can fluctuate for many reasons
  26. Blood sugar testing: Why, when and how
  27. Bone and joint problems associated with diabetes
  28. How kidneys work
  29. Bump on the head: When is it a serious head injury?
  30. Caffeine and hypertension
  31. Calcium channel blockers
  32. Calcium supplements: Do they interfere with blood pressure drugs?
  33. Can whole-grain foods lower blood pressure?
  34. Chronic daily headaches
  35. Chronic kidney disease
  36. Chronic kidney disease: Is a clinical trial right for me?
  37. Coarctation of the aorta
  38. COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
  39. Cushing syndrome
  40. DASH diet: Recommended servings
  41. Diabetes
  42. Diabetes and depression: Coping with the two conditions
  43. Diabetes and exercise: When to monitor your blood sugar
  44. Diabetes and heat
  45. 10 ways to avoid diabetes complications
  46. Diabetes diet: Should I avoid sweet fruits?
  47. Diabetes diet: Create your healthy-eating plan
  48. Diabetes foods: Can I substitute honey for sugar?
  49. Diabetes and liver
  50. Diabetes management: How lifestyle, daily routine affect blood sugar
  51. Diabetes symptoms
  52. Diabetes treatment: Can cinnamon lower blood sugar?
  53. Using insulin
  54. Diuretics
  55. Diuretics: A cause of low potassium?
  56. Diuretics: Cause of gout?
  57. Dizziness
  58. Do infrared saunas have any health benefits?
  59. Drug addiction (substance use disorder)
  60. Eating right for chronic kidney disease
  61. High blood pressure and exercise
  62. Fibromuscular dysplasia
  63. Free blood pressure machines: Are they accurate?
  64. Home blood pressure monitoring
  65. Glomerulonephritis
  66. Glycemic index: A helpful tool for diabetes?
  67. Guillain-Barre syndrome
  68. Headache and Migraine
  69. Headaches and hormones
  70. Headaches: Treatment depends on your diagnosis and symptoms
  71. Heart and Blood Health
  72. Herbal supplements and heart drugs
  73. High blood pressure (hypertension)
  74. High blood pressure and cold remedies: Which are safe?
  75. High blood pressure and sex
  76. High blood pressure dangers
  77. How does IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease) cause kidney damage?
  78. How opioid use disorder occurs
  79. How to tell if a loved one is abusing opioids
  80. What is hypertension? A Mayo Clinic expert explains.
  81. Hypertension FAQs
  82. Hypertensive crisis: What are the symptoms?
  83. Hypothermia
  84. I have IgA nephrology. Will I need a kidney transplant?
  85. IgA nephropathy (Berger disease)
  86. Insulin and weight gain
  87. Intracranial hematoma
  88. Isolated systolic hypertension: A health concern?
  89. What is kidney disease? An expert explains
  90. Kidney disease FAQs
  91. Kratom: Unsafe and ineffective
  92. Kratom for opioid withdrawal
  93. L-arginine: Does it lower blood pressure?
  94. Late-night eating: OK if you have diabetes?
  95. Lead poisoning
  96. Living with IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease) and C3G
  97. Low-phosphorus diet: Helpful for kidney disease?
  98. Menopause and high blood pressure: What's the connection?
  99. Molar pregnancy
  100. MRI: Is gadolinium safe for people with kidney problems?
  101. New Test for Preeclampsia
  102. Nighttime headaches: Relief
  103. Nosebleeds
  104. Obstructive sleep apnea
  105. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  106. Opioid stewardship: What is it?
  107. Pain Management
  108. Pheochromocytoma
  109. Picnic Problems: High Sodium
  110. Pituitary tumors
  111. Polycystic kidney disease
  112. Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?
  113. Poppy seed tea: Beneficial or dangerous?
  114. Porphyria
  115. Postpartum preeclampsia
  116. Preeclampsia
  117. Prescription drug abuse
  118. Primary aldosteronism
  119. Pulse pressure: An indicator of heart health?
  120. Mayo Clinic Minute: Rattlesnakes, scorpions and other desert dangers
  121. Reactive hypoglycemia: What can I do?
  122. Renal diet for vegetarians
  123. Resperate: Can it help reduce blood pressure?
  124. Scorpion sting
  125. Secondary hypertension
  126. Serotonin syndrome
  127. Sleep deprivation: A cause of high blood pressure?
  128. Sleep tips
  129. Snoring
  130. Sodium
  131. Spider bites
  132. Stress and high blood pressure
  133. Symptom Checker
  134. Takayasu's arteritis
  135. Tapering off opioids: When and how
  136. Tetanus
  137. Tetanus shots: Is it risky to receive 'extra' boosters?
  138. The dawn phenomenon: What can you do?
  139. Understanding complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G)
  140. Understanding IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease)
  141. Vegetarian diet: Can it help me control my diabetes?
  142. Vesicoureteral reflux
  143. Video: Heart and circulatory system
  144. How to measure blood pressure using a manual monitor
  145. How to measure blood pressure using an automatic monitor
  146. Obstructive sleep apnea: What happens?
  147. What is blood pressure?
  148. Can a lack of vitamin D cause high blood pressure?
  149. What are opioids and why are they dangerous?
  150. White coat hypertension
  151. Wrist blood pressure monitors: Are they accurate?
  152. Xylazine
  153. Effectively managing chronic kidney disease
  154. Mayo Clinic Minute: Do not share pain medication
  155. Mayo Clinic Minute: Avoid opioids for chronic pain
  156. Mayo Clinic Minute: Be careful not to pop pain pills
  157. Mayo Clinic Minute: Out of shape kids and diabetes