Antihypertensive Drugs

Etiology of Hypertension
• A specific cause of hypertension established in
only 10–15% of patients.
• Patients in whom no specific cause of hypertension are
said to have essential or primary hypertension.
• Patients with a specific etiology are said to
have
secondary hypertension.
• Genetic factors, psychological stress, and
environmental and dietary factors as contributing to
the development of hypertension. The heritability of
essential hypertension is estimated to be about 30%.
Classification of hypertension on the
basis of blood pressure
JNC 7;
2003
 Normal Regulation of Blood Pressure

According to the hydraulic equation, arterial blood pressure

(BP) is directly proportionate to the product of the blood
flow (cardiac output, CO) and the resistance to passage of
blood through precapillary arterioles (peripheral vascular
resistance, PVR)
• BP = CO × PVR
 Sites of action of the major
classes of antihypertensive drugs
 Diuretics
• Thiazide diuretics:
Thiazide
diuretics, such as

hydrochlorothiazide
chlorthalidone, lower bloodand
pressure initially
increasing by
water sodiumThiazideand
excretion.
diuretics
hypokalemia, can
hyperuricemia
induce
and, to a lesser extent
hyperglycemia in ,
patients. some
 Diuretics
• Loop diuretics: Loop diuretics
• Inhibitors of epithelial sodium transport at the late
distal and collecting ducts (furosemide, and
ethacrynic acid) or antagonizing aldosterone receptor
(spironolactone, and eplerenone) and reduce
potassium loss in the urine.

• Aldosterone antagonists have the additional benefit of

diminishing the cardiac remodeling that occurs in
heart failure.
 Diuretics
• K+ Sparing: The loop diuretics (Amiloride,
torsemide, bumetanide, and triamterene) act
promptly by blocking sodium and chloride
reabsorption in the kidneys, even in patients with
poor renal function or those who have not
responded to thiazide diuretics.
 ACE inhibitors

Renin Inhibitors

ACE Inhibitors

Angiotensin
blockers
 ACE inhibitors
• The ACE inhibitors, are recommended as first-line
treatment of hypertension in patients with a variety
of compelling indications, including high coronary
disease risk or history of diabetes, stroke, heart
failure, myocardial infarction, or chronic kidney
disease.
 ACE inhibitors
• ACE is also responsible for the breakdown of
bradykinin, a peptide that increases the production
of nitric oxide and prostacyclin by the blood vessels.
Both nitric oxide and prostacyclin are potent
vasodilators.
 ACE inhibitors
• ACE inhibitors decrease angiotensin II and increase
bradykinin levels. Vasodilation is result of decreased
vasoconstriction (from diminished levels of
angiotensin II) and enhanced vasodilation (from
increased bradykinin).
• By reducing circulating angiotensin II levels, ACE
inhibitors also decrease the secretion of
aldosterone, resulting in decreased sodium and
water retention.
• ACE inhibitors reduce both cardiac preload
and afterload, thereby decreasing cardiac work.
 ACE inhibitors
Comparative features of some ACE inhibitors
 ACE inhibitors
Adverse effects of ACE inhibitors:
• The adverse effect profile of all ACE inhibitors is
similar. Captopril is well tolerated by most patients,
especially if daily dose is kept below 150 mg.
• Hypotension: An initial sharp fall in BP occurs
especially in diuretic treated and CHF patients
• Hyperkalaemia
• Cough
• Rashes, urticaria
• Angioedema
 ACE inhibitors
Adverse effects of ACE inhibitors:
• Dysgeusia
• Foetopathic
• Headache, dizziness, nausea and bowel upset
• Granulocytopenia and proteinuria (rare ADR)
• Acute renal failure
 ACE inhibitors
Advantages of ACE inhibitor:
• Free of postural electrolyte
hypotension, feeling of weakness and CNS effects
disturbances,

• Safety in asthmatics, diabetics and peripheral

vascular disease patients

• Long-term ACE inhibitor therapy has the potential to

reduce incidence of type 2 diabetes in high risk
subjects
• No rebound hypertension on withdrawal
 ACE inhibitors
Advantages of ACE inhibitor:
• No hyperuricaemia, no deleterious effect on plasma
lipid profile
• ACE inhibitors are the most effective drugs for
preventing sudden cardiac death in post-infarction
patients. However, they are less effective for
primary prophylaxis of MI and for preventing left
ventricular hypertrophy.
 Uses of ACE inhibitors
• Hypertension:
– The ACE inhibitors are first line drugs in all grades
of hypertension, but the angiotensin receptor
blockers (ARBs) have now surpassed them in
popularity.
– Essential hypertension respond to monotherapy
with ACE inhibitors and majority of the rest to
their combination with diuretics or beta blockers.
 Uses of ACE inhibitors
• Congestive Heart Failure (CHF): ACE inhibitors cause
both arteriolar and venodilatation in CHF patients;
reduce afterload as well as preload.
• Myocardial infarction: Long-term ACE inhibitor
therapy reduces recurrent MI.
• Prophylaxis in high cardiovascular risk subjects: ACE
inhibitors are protective in high cardiovascular risk
subjects even when there is no associated
hypertension or left ventricular dysfunction. ACE
inhibitors may improved endothelial function.
 Uses of ACE inhibitors
• Diabetic nephropathy: Prolonged ACE inhibitor
therapy has been found to prevent or delay end-
stage renal disease in type I as well as type II
diabetics.
• Nondiabetic nephropathy: ACE inhibitors reducing
proteinuria by decreasing pressure gradient across
glomerular capillaries as well as by altering
membrane permeability.
• Scleroderma crisis: The marked rise in BP and
deterioration of renal function in scleroderma crisis
is mediated by Ang II. ACE inhibitors produce
improvement and are life saving in this condition.
 Angiotensin antagonists (ARBs)
• Angiotensin antagonists: losartan, candesartan,
valsartan, telmisartan, olmesartan and irbesartan.
• Their pharmacologic effects of ARBs are similar to
those of ACE inhibitors.
• ARBs produce arteriolar and venous dilation and
block aldosterone secretion, thus lowering blood
pressure and decreasing salt and water retention.
• ARBs do not increase bradykinin levels.
• ARBs may be used as first-line agents for the
treatment of hypertension, especially in patients
with a compelling indication of diabetes, heart
failure, or chronic kidney disease.
 Direct renin inhibitor
• A selective renin inhibitor, aliskiren directly inhibits
renin and, thus, acts earlier in the renin–
angiotensin–aldosterone system than ACE inhibitors
or ARBs.
• It lowers blood pressure about as effectively as
ARBs, ACE inhibitors, and thiazides. Aliskiren should
not be routinely combined with an ACE inhibitor or
ARBs.
• Aliskiren can cause diarrhea, especially at higher
doses, and can also cause cough and angioedema,
but probably less often than ACE inhibitors.
• Aliskiren is contraindicated during pregnancy.
 β-adrenergic blockers
• β-adrenergic blockers are mild antihypertensives and
do not significantly lower BP in normotensives. In
stage 1 cases of hypertensive patients (30 - 40%), β-
adrenergic blockers are used alone.
 β-adrenergic blockers
Propranolol
• Propranolol is a first β blocker showed effective in
hypertension and ischemic heart disease.
• Propranolol has now been largely replaced by
cardioselective β blockers such as metoprolol and
atenolol.
• All β-adrenoceptor-blocking agents are useful
lowering blood pressure in mild for moderate
hypertension. to
• In severe hypertension, β blockers are especially
useful in preventing the reflex tachycardia that often
results from treatment with direct vasodilators.
 α-Adrenergic blockers
Prazosin, terazosin, and doxazosin
• Prazosin is a prototype α1-adrenergic blocking agent.
• Terazosin and doxazosin are long-acting congeners of
prazosin
• Alpha blockers reduce arterial pressure by dilating
both resistance and capacitance vessels.

Other alpha-adrenoceptor blocking agents

• phentolamine (reversible nonselective α-adrenergic
antagonist) and phenoxybenzamine (non-selective,
irreversible alpha blocker) are useful in diagnosis and
treatment of pheochromocytoma.
 Centrally acting adrenergic drugs
Clonidine
• Clonidine acts centrally as an α2 agonist to produce
inhibition of sympathetic vasomotor centers, decreasing
sympathetic outflow to the periphery. This leads to
reduced total peripheral resistance and decreased blood
pressure. At present, it is occasionally used in combination
with a diuretic.
Methyldopa
• It is an α2 agonist that is converted to
methylnorepinephrine centrally to diminish adrenergic
outflow from the CNS. It is mainly used for management
of hypertension in pregnancy, where it has a record of
safety.
 Vasodilators
• Hydralazine/Dihydralazine and minoxidil not used as
primary drugs to treat hypertension. These
vasodilators act by producing relaxation of vascular
smooth muscle, primarily in arteries and arterioles.
This results in decreased peripheral resistance.
• Both agents produce reflex stimulation of the heart,
resulting in the competing reflexes of increased
myocardial contractility, heart rate, and oxygen
consumption.
• Hydralazine is an accepted medication for controlling
blood pressure in pregnancy induced hypertension. This
drug is used topically to treat male pattern baldness.
 Combinations to be avoided
Combination Possible effects

An α or β adrenergic blocker Apparent antagonism of

with clonidine clonidine action has been
observed.
Hydralazine with a haemodynamic action
dihydropyridine (DHP) or
prazosin
Verapamil or diltiazem with β bradycardia, A-V block can
blocker
Methyldopa with clonidine or any two drugs of the same class
 Antihypertensives & pregnancy
Antihypertensives to be avoided Antihypertensives found safer
during pregnancy during pregnancy
ACE inhibitors, ARBs: Risk of foetal Hydralazine
damage, growth retardation. Methyldopa
Diuretics: increase risk of foetal Dihydropyridine CCBs: if used, they
wastage, placental infarcts, should be discontinued before
miscarriage, stillbirth. labour as they weaken uterine
contractions.

Nonselective β blockers: Propranolol Cardioselective β blockers and those

cause low birth weight, decreased with ISA, e.g. atenolol, metoprolol,
placental size, neonatal bradycardia pindolol, acebutolol: may be used if
and hypoglycaemia. no other choice.

Sod. nitroprusside: Contraindicated Prazosin and clonidine-provided that

in eclampsia. postural hypotension can be
avoided.
Possible combination of antihypertensive drugs: Continuous green line
(preferential combinations); dotted green line (acceptable combinations); dotted
black line (less usual combinations); red line (unusual combinations).

Ref: Póvoa R, Barroso WS, Brandão AA, et al. I brazilian position paper on antihypertensive drug
combination. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2014;102(3):203-10.
Thank you