How to Choose blood pressure medications ?

1. For stage 1 high blood pressure (140/90 to 159/99) Your doctor may suggest first trying water pills.called Diuretics which flush excess water and sodium from the body, thus lowering blood pressure, and may be enough along with lifestyle changes to control your blood pressure. But under some circumstances, your doctor may also recommend adding another medication. Those include:
   Beta blockers. These reduce nerve signals to the heart and blood vessels, thus lowering blood pressure.
   Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. These help blood vessels relax by blocking the production of a hormone that causes blood vessels to narrow.
   Angiotensin II receptor blockers. These allow blood vessels to widen by preventing a hormone called angiotensin from affecting vessels.
   Calcium channel blockers. These prevent calcium from going into heart and blood vessel muscle cells, thus causing the cells to relax, which lowers blood pressure.
   
   
2. For stage 2 high blood pressure (higher than 160/100) your doctor will likely prescribe a thiazide diuretic. Along with a diuretic, your doctor may recommend that you also take:
   An ACE inhibitor. This helps blood vessels relax by blocking the production of a hormone that causes blood vessels to narrow.
   An angiotensin II receptor blocker. This allows blood vessels to widen by preventing a hormone called angiotensin from affecting vessels.
   A beta blocker. This class of drugs works by reducing nerve signals to the heart and blood vessels, thus lowering blood pressure.
   A calcium channel blocker. This prevents calcium from going into heart and blood vessel muscle cells, thus causing the cells to relax, which lowers blood pressure.