Hypertension Treatment History timeline

Fritz Bruening Performs the First Sympathectomy Operation for Hypertension

The vasoconstrictor and cardioaccelerator properties of the sympathetic nervous system had long been known, but it was Kraus who urged the surgeon... Read more

Physician William Schwartz Administers Sulfanilamide to Help with Hypertension

In 1949, Bill Schwartz reported that three patients with marked edema due to heart failure who were given sulfonamides all showed dramatic... Read more

Walter Kempner Reports Improvement in Hypertension from Reduction in Sodium Intake

The first proof that reducing sodium intake could benefit some patients with hypertension also came in 1949 when Walter Kempner reported... Read more

Karl Beyer Creates Cholorothiazide (Diuril) to Lower Blood Pressure

The most important breakthrough in the history of the drug treatment of hypertension came with the discovery of the orally effective diuretic,... Read more

FDA Approves GD Searle's Aldactone

Aldactone is a potassium-sparing diuretic (water pill) that prevents your body from absorbing too much salt and keeps your potassium levels from... Read more

James Black Discovers Propranolol

Black took his idea to ICI and in 1958 he was invited to join the company. In 1964, his method yielded the discovery of propranolol, the first of a... Read more

FDA Approves Sanofi-Aventis's Lasix

Lasix is a loop diuretic (water pill) that prevents your body from absorbing too much salt, allowing the salt to instead be passed in your... Read more

FDA Approves Troprol XL

Metoprolol also reduces the force of contraction of heart muscle and thereby lowers blood pressure. By reducing the heart rate and the force of... Read more

FDA Approves AstraZeneca's Tenormin

Tenormin is in a group of drugs called beta-blockers. Beta-blockers affect the heart and circulation (blood flow through arteries and... Read more

FDA Approves Paddock's Midamor

Preventing development of low blood potassium or helping to restore normal blood potassium in patients with high blood pressure or heart failure.... Read more

FDA Approves BTA's Cardizem to Lower Hypertension

Cardizem is a medication distributed by BTA Pharmaceuticals that is used to treat severe chest pain and high blood pressure. Cardizem works by... Read more

FDA Approves Pfizer's Norvasc to Lower Hypertension

Norvasc is in a group of drugs called calcium channel blockers. It dilates blood vessels and slows the heart to reduce blood pressure and the pain... Read more

FDA Approves Meda's Demadex

Demadex, a type of diuretic, is prescribed to treat high blood pressure and water retention. By increasing the amount of water and salt removed... Read more

FDA Approves Novartis's Lotrel to Lower Hypertension

Lotrel is a combination medication that contains an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and a calcium-channel blocker. It is used in the... Read more

FDA Approves Merck's Cozaar to Lower Hypertension

Cozaar is in a group of drugs called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. It keeps blood vessels from narrowing, which lowers blood pressure and... Read more

FDA Approves Merck's Hyzaar to Lower Hypertension

Hyzaar is a combination of losartan and hydrochlorothiazide prescribed to treat patients with high blood pressure. It is in a class of medications... Read more

FDA Approves GlaxoSmithKlein's Coreg

Coreg is in a group of drugs called beta-blockers. Beta-blockers affect the heart and circulation (blood flow through arteries and veins). Coreg... Read more

FDA Approves Novartis's Diovan to Lower Hypertension

Diovan, in both capsule and tablet formulations, has been approved for the treatment of hypertension in adult subjects. It offers blood pressure... Read more

FDA Approves Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi-Synthelabo Partnership's Avapro to Lower Hypertension

Avapro is in a group of drugs called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. It keeps blood vessels from narrowing, which lowers blood pressure and... Read more

FDA Approves Novartis's Diovan HCT to Lower Hypertension

Diovan HCT has been approved for second-line treatment of hypertension. Diovan HCT is a combination of an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB)--a... Read more

FDA Approves AstraZeneca's Atacand to Lower Hypertension

Atacand is in a group of drugs called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. It keeps blood vessels from narrowing, which lowers blood pressure and... Read more

FDA Approves Boehringer Ingelheim's Micardis to Lower Hypertension

Micardis controls high blood pressure. It works by blocking the effects of a hormone called angiotensin II. Unopposed, this substance tends to... Read more

FDA Approves Daiichi-Sankyo's Benicar to Lower Hypertension

Benicar controls high blood pressure. It works by blocking the effect of a hormone called angiotensin II. Unopposed, this substance prompts the... Read more

FDA Approves Daiichi-Sankyo's Benicar HCT to Lower Hypertension

Benicar HCT belongs to a class of drugs called angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), also called antihypertensives, or angiotensin II receptor... Read more

FDA Approves Pfizer's Caduet to Lower Hypertension

Caduet combines the drugs amlodipine (Norvasc, Lotrel) and atorvastatin (Lipitor), two widely prescribed cardiovascular medications. It's the first... Read more