Blood Pressure Medications to Know

Blood-pressure drugs are the single largest group on most top-drug lists, which makes them the highest-yield place to start studying. They cluster into a handful of classes — ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics — and each class shares a tell-tale name ending.

Study tip

Learn the suffix patterns first: -pril is an ACE inhibitor (lisinopril), -sartan is an ARB (losartan), -olol is a beta blocker (metoprolol), and -dipine is a calcium channel blocker (amlodipine). Recognizing the ending lets you place an unfamiliar drug into the right class instantly.

Blood pressure drug list (30)

By generic name, ordered by how commonly each is dispensed.

#Generic nameCommonly used for
4LisinoprilHigh BP
5AmlodipineHigh BP
6MetoprololHigh BP
9LosartanHigh BP
11HydrochlorothiazideHigh BP
27AtenololHigh BP
29CarvedilolHigh BP
44ValsartanHigh BP
45RamiprilHigh BP
89DiltiazemHigh BP
90PropranololHigh BP
91NebivololHigh BP
92SpironolactoneHigh BP
93ClonidineHigh BP
94OlmesartanHigh BP
95TelmisartanHigh BP
96DoxazosinHigh BP
97EnalaprilHigh BP
98BenazeprilHigh BP
99CandesartanHigh BP
220HydralazineHigh BP
221CaptoprilHigh BP
222LabetalolHigh BP
223Olmesartan-Amlodipine-HCTZHigh BP
224TerazosinHigh BP
225IndapamideHigh BP
226ChlorthalidoneHigh BP
230VerapamilHigh BP
231NifedipineHigh BP
232PrazosinHigh BP

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Frequently asked questions

What are the main classes of blood pressure medications?
The most commonly studied classes are ACE inhibitors (-pril), angiotensin receptor blockers or ARBs (-sartan), beta blockers (-olol), calcium channel blockers (often -dipine), and diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide. Grouping the drugs by class is the fastest way to memorize them.
Which blood pressure drug should I learn first?
Lisinopril and amlodipine sit near the very top of most popularity rankings, so they are a sensible starting point. Once you know one drug from each class, the suffix pattern helps you recognize the rest.

More drug categories

Educational study aid — not medical advice. Learn My Drugs is a memorization tool for pharmacy students, technicians, and exam prep. Drug names and uses on this page are simplified for studying and are not a substitute for professional judgment. For clinical, dosing, or safety information, consult the official label and a licensed professional.

Authoritative references: DailyMed, MedlinePlus, and the U.S. FDA.

Last reviewed: May 30, 2026.