What are the Short-Acting Antihypertensive Medications Available?

For hypertensive patients, once their blood pressure rises, symptoms such as dizziness and vomiting may occur. Timely control of blood pressure can prevent sudden onset of other physical problems. If blood pressure rises in a short period of time, short-acting antihypertensive drugs can be taken. Short-acting antihypertensive drugs refer to drugs that have an effective duration of only about 5 to 8 hours, but their onset time is relatively fast. So, do you know what kind of short-acting antihypertensive drugs are available?

Short-acting drugs are characterized by rapid onset and rapid dissipation of their effects. They can exert significant blood pressure-lowering effects within one or two hours, or even a shorter period of time after administration, but the drug effect weakens after several hours, and blood pressure rises again. This can result in significant fluctuations in blood pressure, which is detrimental to health. Long-acting drugs have a prolonged duration of effect after administration, enabling more stable control of blood pressure within the ideal range for 24 hours a day, thus reducing blood pressure fluctuations. Additionally, it takes two to three weeks for long-acting drugs to fully exert their effects when used for the first time. This benefit gradually lowers elevated blood pressure to normal levels, avoiding the adverse effects of rapid blood pressure reduction on the heart and brain. In contrast, short-acting drugs can significantly lower blood pressure after taking one or two doses, which may appear to be effective, but rapid blood pressure reduction is not beneficial for the body.

Generally speaking, hypertension is a chronic disease, and most patients require long-term pharmacological treatment to effectively control their blood pressure to the target level (generally requiring blood pressure to be below 140/90mmHg). This not only reduces the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events such as stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and kidney disease, but also effectively lowers the risk of death. The choice of different antihypertensive drugs is based on their specific mechanisms of action and focuses. These focuses are the basis for doctors to select different antihypertensive drugs for patients with different conditions.

1) Thiazide diuretics (such as hydrochlorothiazide) are superior in reducing systolic blood pressure compared to diastolic blood pressure and are more suitable for elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension or patients with manifestations of heart failure. It is important to avoid hypokalemia during use. Additionally, if you have hyperuricemia or gout, it is crucial to inform your doctor to avoid the use of these drugs.

2) Beta-blockers are suitable for patients with hypertension accompanied by angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, heart failure, rapid arrhythmias, glaucoma, and pregnancy. However, they should not be used in patients with asthma or peripheral vascular disease. Additionally, these drugs can affect glucose and lipid metabolism, increasing the risk of diabetes.