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What is high blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against blood vessel
walls. The heart pumps blood into the arteries (blood vessels), which carry the
blood throughout the body. High blood pressure, also called hypertension
(h... |
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A spectrum of complementary and alternative medicine approaches are believed
to be effective for treating hypertension. The current evidence indicates
that--in addition to a diet that is low in saturated fat and salt and rich in
complex carbohydrates ... |
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Common brand name: Norvasc
Why is amlodipine prescribed?
Amlodipine controls high blood pressure by relaxing the
blood vessels so that blood can flow more easily through your body. It is also
used to relieve angina (chest pain). Calcium blockers might ... |
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Common brand name: Bumex
Why is this drug prescribed?
Bumetanide, a "water pill," is used to treat high blood pressure and
fluid retention caused by various conditions, including heart disease. It causes
the kidneys to eliminate unneeded wate... |
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Common brand name: Capoten
Why is captopril prescribed?
Captopril is used to treat mild to severe high blood pressure
and congestive heart failure. It decreases certain chemicals that constrict the
blood vessels so that blood can flow more smoothly.
... |
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Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among both men and women,
and among all ethnic and racial groups. It is responsible for 40 percent of all deaths
occurring in the United States each year. Cardiovascular disease is made up of a
group ... |
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When should I check my blood pressure?
Follow your doctor's instructions for when and how often to check your blood
pressure. Keep in mind that certain factors can cause blood pressure to
temporarily rise. Blood pressure normally rises as a result of:
... |
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What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease of the pancreas, an organ located behind your stomach.
Normally, the pancreas releases a substance called insulin into the blood.
Insulin helps the body to use simple sugars and fats broken down from the food
w... |
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Common brand names: Cardizem, Dilacor-XR, CD, SR, and others
Why is diltiazem prescribed?
Diltiazem increases the supply of blood and oxygen to the
heart, thereby controlling or relieving chest pain (angina pectoris). Diltiazem
is used to control high ... |
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Common brand name: Vasotec
Why is enalapril prescribed?
Enalapril is used to treat high blood pressure and congestive
heart failure. The drug decreases certain chemicals that constrict (narrow) the blood
vessels so that blood can flow more smoothly.
... |
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Common brand name: Lasix
Why is furosemide prescribed?
Furosemide, a "water pill," causes the kidneys to eliminate
unneeded water and salt from the body into the urine. It is used to treat high
blood pressure and the swelling and water re... |
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What is high blood pressure?
The heart pumps blood into the arteries (blood vessels), which carry the
blood throughout the body. Blood pressure is the force or pressure of blood
inside the arteries when the heart beats. High blood pressure, also calle... |
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What is high blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. The
heart pumps blood into the arteries (blood vessels), which carry the blood throughout the
body. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, mean... |
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Common brand names: Esidrix, HydroDIURlL, Oretic and others
Why is hydrochlorothiazide prescribed?
Hydrochlorothiazide, a "water
pill," is used to treat high blood pressure and fluid retention caused by
various conditions, including heart... |
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What is high blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the force of blood against artery walls. It is measured in
millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and recorded as two numbers-systolic pressure (as
the heart beats) over diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes bet... |
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angina: chest pain.
angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors: one kind of medication
used to treat hypertension by preventing the body from making the hormone
angiotensin II. This hormone causes blood vessels to narrow, which can raise
blood pr... |
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Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is dangerous because it can lead to
strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, or kidney disease. The goal of
hypertension treatment is to lower these harmful high pressures and protect
important organs, like the brai... |
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Hypertension is often called the "silent" disease because it has no
noticeable symptoms. If undetected and untreated, hypertension can cause heart
disease (including congestive heart failure), stroke, and kidney disease. That’s
why it’s impo... |
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1. What causes hypertension?
While the causes of hypertension in most people remain unclear, a variety of
conditions and states—such as getting little or no exercise, poor diet,
obesity, older age, and genetics—can lead to hypertension.
... |
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As many as 22 percent of American adults—some 47 million people—may have
a sinister sounding disorder called syndrome X or "metabolic
syndrome," which significantly increases a person’s risk of developing
life threatening chronic diseases.
... |
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Common brand names: Normodyne, Trandate
Why is this drug prescribed?
Labetalol is used to control high blood pressure. It relaxes your blood
vessels so your heart doesn't have to pump as hard. Sometimes this drug is
prescribed for other conditions. ... |
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Common brand names: Prinivil, Zestril
Why is lisinopril prescribed?
Lisinopril is used to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart
failure. It relaxes constricted blood vessels so that blood can flow more
smoothly.
When should lisinopril b... |
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Common brand name: Cozaar
Why is losartan prescribed?
Losartan is used to treat mild to severe high blood pressure caused by
various conditions, including heart disease. It may also be used to decrease
blood pressure in people with congestive heart f... |
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Common brand name: Hyzaar
Why is losartan-hydrochlorothiazide prescribed?
Losartan-hydrochlorothiazide is a combination of a vasodilator and a
diuretic or "water pill." Losartan causes blood vessels to dilate so
that blood can flow more smo... |
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Common brand names: Mykrox, Zaroxolyn
Why is metolazone prescribed?
Metolazone, a "water pill," is used to treat high
blood pressure and fluid retention caused by various conditions, including heart
disease. It causes the kidneys to elimina... |
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Common brand names: Lopressor, Toprol XL
Why is this drug prescribed?
Metoprolol controls high blood pressure and heart failure but does not cure
either condition. This medication is classified as a beta blocker. This class of
drugs works by decreasing... |
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1. Hypertension is an "asymptomatic" disease.It
is well-recognized that the majority of hypertensive people in the United States
have stage 1 or 2 (mild or moderate) hypertension, and as a result may
experience few or no symptoms during the early years ... |
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Common brand names: Adalat, Procardia
Why is nifedipine prescribed?
Nifedipine increases the supply of blood and oxygen to your
heart, thereby controlling or relieving chest pain (angina pectoris). It also
lowers blood pressure and relaxes your hear... |
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(Part 1 of a 2-part series on diagnosing and managing high blood pressure)
Blood pressure monitoring is a staple of the medical office visit, so much so
that many patients barely pay attention to the process. An inflatable cuff is
wrapped around the u... |
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Common brand name: Altace
Why is ramipril prescribed?
Ramipril is used to treat mild to severe high blood pressure and congestive
heart failure. It decreases certain chemicals that constrict the blood vessels,
so that blood can flow more smoothly and t... |
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A new trend in health care takes the traditional one-on-one office visit to a
different level, offering patients the chance to participate in medical
appointments shared with other patients. In this article, David L. Bronson,
M.D., F.A.C.P., Chairman ... |
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Common brand name: Betapace
Why is this drug prescribed?
Sotalol is used to treat irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias). It acts on your
heart muscle to improve the heart's rhythm. It may also be used to treat high
blood pressure, to prevent additional ... |
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Common brand name: Aldactone
Type of medication: Spironolactone is a type of
medication called a "potassium sparing" diuretic. Diuretics are used
to remove a surplus of fluid from the body's bloodstream or tissues. It also
acts as an aldoster... |
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Common brand name: Hytrin
Why is terazosin prescribed?
Terazosin controls high blood pressure by relaxing the
blood vessels so that blood can flow more easily through the body. It has also
been used to treat urinating difficulty caused by an enlarged... |
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Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often called a "silent
disease" because you usually don’t know that you have it; there are no
outward symptoms or signs. Nonetheless, it damages the body and eventually may
cause such problems as hear... |
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High blood pressure affects about 25% of U.S. adults. It often occurs
silently without symptoms. If undetected and untreated, hypertension can cause
heart disease, including congestive heart failure, stroke and kidney disease.
Only about one in four o... |
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Hypertension: The greatest public health problemBlood
pressure, particularly systolic blood pressure (SBP), tends to increase
throughout adult life, while diastolic blood pressure (DBP) tends to level off
and decrease during later years. Systolic blood ... |
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Common brand names: Calan, Isoptin and others
Why is verapamil prescribed?
Verapamil is used to control irregular heartbeats, to
control or relieve chest pain (angina pectoris) and to lower blood pressure.
This medication may also be used for other ... |
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Common brand name: Accupril
Why is quinapril prescribed?
Quinapril is used to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.
The drug decreases certain chemicals that constrict the blood vessels so that
blood flows more smoothly.
When shou... |
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What is blood pressure?With each beat
of the heart, blood is pumped out of the heart into the blood vessels, which
carry blood throughout your body. Blood pressure is the measurement of the
pressure or force inside your blood vessels (arteries) with eac... |
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