Prevent Common Issues With First-Line Blood Pressure Meds

You can help avoid major missteps with meds for initial treatment of high blood pressure.

All first-line meds for hypertension work well to lower stroke and heart attack risk. But they work in different ways...and come with their own set of potential problems.

ACE inhibitors (enalapril, etc) or ARBs (olmesartan, etc) help relax blood vessels...which reduces blood pressure. But ARBs cause fewer adverse effects, such as cough or swelling, than ACEIs.