Every question is "what does this medication treat?" — no brand names, no classifications. Just the plain-English reason the patient is taking it and what it's doing to the body.
This tab gives the plain-English version for the medication groups you asked for: beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and blood thinners. It tells you what each medication is commonly used for and what it is doing in the body.
High blood pressure, chest pain, heart failure, and controlling a fast heart rate such as atrial fibrillation.
It slows the heart and lowers how hard the heart has to work.
Heart failure and high blood pressure.
It slows the heart and also relaxes blood vessels, which reduces the workload on the heart.
High blood pressure and angina.
It keeps the pulse from running too fast and lowers the heart’s oxygen demand.
High blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms, tremors, hyperthyroidism, and migraine prevention.
It calms down the body’s fight-or-flight response so the heart and nervous system are less stimulated.
High blood pressure and chronic stable angina.
It relaxes and opens up blood vessels so blood moves more easily and pressure comes down.
Rate control in atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, and angina.
It slows electrical signals through the heart and also relaxes blood vessels.
Atrial fibrillation, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and mechanical heart valves.
It blocks the body from making some of the clotting factors it needs, so blood takes longer to clot.
Stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation and treatment or prevention of DVT and PE.
It blocks factor Xa, which is one of the body’s key clot-making steps.
DVT, PE, and stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation.
It also blocks factor Xa, so the body has a harder time building a dangerous clot.
Coronary stents, heart attack, stroke, or TIA.
It keeps platelets from clumping together, which helps stop clot formation inside blood vessels and stents.
Heart attack and stroke prevention, often together with Plavix after a stent.
It makes platelets less sticky, so they are less likely to start a clot.