The chart on page 13 gives the names of the most common drugs of each type. Diuretics are commonly used for lowering high blood pressure. This lessens the amount of fluid in the blood. Sodium is also flushed out of the blood vessel walls, allowing the blood vessels to dilate. As a result, there is less pressure on the blood vessels.
Diuretics come in different brands, and doctors prescribe different kinds for different people.
Beta blockers reduce the number of nerve impulses that occur in the heart and blood vessels. This reduction slows the heart, which beats less often and with less contracting force so blood pressure drops and the heart works less hard. This hormone narrows the blood vessels and causes blood pressure to rise. Calcium channel blockers keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels. This causes the blood vessels to relax.