Vasodilators are medicines that act directly on muscles in blood vessel
walls to make blood vessels widen (dilate).
Purpose
Vasodilators are used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension ). By
widening the arteries, these drugs allow blood to flow through more easily,
reducing blood pressure. Controlling high blood pressure is important
because the condition puts a burden on the heart and the arteries, which can
lead to permanent damage over time. If untreated, high blood pressure
increases the risk of heart attacks, heart failure, stroke, or kidney
failure. Vasodilators usually are prescribed with other types of blood
pressure drugs and rarely are used alone.
Description
Examples of Vasodilators are Hydralazine (Apresoline) and Minoxidil
(Loniten). The Vasodilator Hydralazine also may be used to control high
blood pressure in pregnant women or to bring down extremely high blood
pressure in emergency situations. In the forms used for treating high blood
pressure (tablets or injections), these drugs are available only with a
physician's prescription. A liquid form of Minoxidil, used to promote hair
growth in people with certain kinds of baldness and is applied directly to
the scalp, is sold without a prescription.