Angiotensin Receptor Antagonist Medication For High Blood Pressure

If you have hypertension, then you likely know that there are literally thousands of possible medications to treat your condition. These medicines can slow your heart down, relax your blood vessels, thin your blood, and do a number of these things at once. Of course, that's just a dummy list of what these meds can do, the list could go on forever (and frankly some of the medical jargon is pretty wild).

I've mentioned before that I am taking Benicar HCT, an angiotensin receptor antagonist with a diuretic. So what is an angiotensin receptor antagonist?

The ARA II medication class as it's called is fairly similar to ACE inhibitors in that it blocks the production of vasopressin, which is released by the body when it is low on water. It concentrates urine, conserves water in the kidneys, and raises blood pressure through a substance that narrows blood vessels (to conserve water). ARA II medication also regulates other hormones and substances, with the end result on the body very similar to an ACE inhibitor, without many of the adverse side effects. The ARA's leave a few other bodily functions alone that ACE inhibitors influence.

I hope this was helpful, in the end, I've found that ARA II medication has worked best for me. It's brought my blood pressure down from 155/110 to 125/85, and I feel good. The diuretic does cause me to urinate more, but I can tolerate that.