Hi, I would like to ask you about the mechanism of action of antihypertensives. My mother is suffering from high blood pressure for ages. The doctor tried various drugs, but none of them gave visible results. The blood pressure is still high, regardless to the changes in diet that my mother made. Now the doctor wants to try some new medicine. I am wondering why the medications are not helping my mother. Could you explain what the mechanism of action of antihypertensives is? Why does the doctor think that the new drug will help my mother when all the others didn't?
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Hi, antihypertensive drugs are a very various bunch. There are couple of groups and each group contains a number of drugs. Each group has a different mechanism of action. The mostly used are beta blockers. Drugs work by blocking beta receptors in the heart. These receptors are under the influence of neurotransmitters that cause the heart to pump faster and stronger. When these receptors are blocked the heart works slower and this causes the blood pressure to drop. Then there are diuretics that cause the elimination of water from our body. With the water excessive amounts of salt that causes high blood pressure is eliminated. And there are also drugs that cause the blood vessels to dilate and with this the blood has more space to flow through and the pressure is diminished. The blood pressure is very complex problem that is in most cases treated with the combination therapy. I hope that your mother's doctor will find the right combination that will help your mother.
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