Heart Medications (Cont.)

 

Calcium Channel Blockers
Calcium channel blockers relax blood vessels. They are used to treat high blood pressure, angina, and some arrhythmias.
 
Calcium channel blockers include:
 
Cholesterol-Lowering Medications
Cholesterol-lowering drugs are usually used to decrease LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, levels in the blood. Sometimes, they are also used to increase HDL, or "good" cholesterol, and to lower triglycerides.
 
The five major types of cholesterol-lowering drugs are:
 
There are also cholesterol medicines that have been combined. For example, Zetia and Zocor have been combined into a medicine known as Vytorin®.
 
Diuretics
Diuretics (water pills) decrease fluid buildup in the body and are effective in treating high blood pressure. In addition, new research suggests that diuretics can help to prevent stroke, heart attack, and heart failure. For those people who already have heart failure, diuretics can help to reduce fluid buildup in the lungs and swelling in the feet and ankles.
(Heart Medications Continued: Page 4)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD