Antihypertensive drug classes are organized theoretically according to their site and mechanism of action, forming a two-way taxonomy: renal agents that act through the kidney or renin-angiotensin signaling, and extrarenal agents that act elsewhere in the body. Renal classes include diuretics and angiotensin antagonists (further divided into ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers), plus direct renin inhibitors, while extrarenal classes include sympathetic nervous system modulators (acting at outflow tracts, ganglia, nerve terminals, or alpha/beta receptors) and direct vasodilators (calcium channel blockers, potassium channel openers, nitrodilators, and endothelin antagonists). This mechanism-based classification underlies the pharmacological approach to blood pressure regulation within cardiovascular pharmacology.
Antihypertensive drug classes are organized theoretically according to their site and mechanism of action, forming a two-way taxonomy: renal agents that act through the kidney or renin-angiotensin si…