ACE Inhibitors 6 drugs Relax blood vessels by blocking the enzyme that makes angiotensin II, the body's pipe-squeezer.
Treats: Hypertension · Heart failure · Post-MI · Diabetic kidney protection
Angioedema can close the airway; hyperkalemia; never in pregnancy. lisinopril, enalapril, ramipril, captopril, benazepril…
ARBs (Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers) 6 drugs Block the receptor angiotensin II lands on — same goal as ACE inhibitors, without the cough.
Treats: Hypertension · Heart failure · Diabetic kidney protection · ACE-inhibitor cough intolerance
Hyperkalemia and kidney injury risk; never in pregnancy. losartan, valsartan, olmesartan, irbesartan, candesartan…
Beta Blockers 8 drugs Slow the heart and soften its squeeze by blocking adrenaline's beta receptors.
Treats: Hypertension · Heart failure · Post-MI · Atrial fibrillation rate control
Never stop abruptly — rebound tachycardia and ischemia; masks hypoglycemia signs; bradycardia. metoprolol, carvedilol, atenolol, bisoprolol, propranolol…
Calcium Channel Blockers 6 drugs Relax vessel walls (dihydropyridines) or slow the heart's electrical gate (non-dihydropyridines) by blocking calcium entry.
Treats: Hypertension · Angina · Atrial fibrillation rate control · Raynaud phenomenon
Verapamil/diltiazem + beta blocker can cause severe bradycardia and heart block; peripheral edema with amlodipine. amlodipine, nifedipine, diltiazem, verapamil, nicardipine…
Thiazide Diuretics 4 drugs First-line blood pressure pills that make the kidney dump a little salt and water.
Treats: Hypertension · Mild edema · Kidney stone prevention (calcium)
Hypokalemia, hyponatremia, raises glucose and uric acid — can trigger gout. hydrochlorothiazide, chlorthalidone, indapamide, metolazone
Loop Diuretics 4 drugs The strongest water pills — block salt reabsorption in the loop of Henle to pull off large fluid volumes.
Treats: Heart failure with volume overload · Pulmonary edema · Edema from kidney or liver disease
Hypokalemia and dehydration; ototoxicity with fast IV push or with aminoglycosides. furosemide, bumetanide, torsemide, ethacrynic acid
Potassium-Sparing Diuretics 4 drugs Gentle diuretics that hold on to potassium — spironolactone also blocks aldosterone, which helps failing hearts.
Treats: Heart failure · Resistant hypertension · Hyperaldosteronism · Hypokalemia prevention
Hyperkalemia — dangerous when stacked with ACE inhibitors, ARBs, or potassium supplements. spironolactone, eplerenone, triamterene, amiloride
Nitrates 3 drugs Dilate veins (and coronary arteries) to drop the heart's workload and relieve chest pain fast.
Treats: Angina · Acute coronary syndrome · Heart failure (with hydralazine)
Fatal hypotension with PDE5 inhibitors (sildenafil, tadalafil); tolerance without a nitrate-free interval. nitroglycerin, isosorbide mononitrate, isosorbide dinitrate
Statins 6 drugs Block the liver's cholesterol factory (HMG-CoA reductase) to lower LDL and stabilize artery plaque.
Treats: High LDL cholesterol · ASCVD prevention · Post-MI · Diabetes with cardiovascular risk
Muscle breakdown (myopathy → rhabdomyolysis) and liver enzyme elevation; grapefruit raises levels of some. atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, lovastatin…
Non-Statin Lipid Agents 8 drugs Backup and add-on cholesterol drugs for when statins aren't enough or aren't tolerated.
Treats: High LDL despite statin · Statin intolerance · High triglycerides
Fibrates + statins raise myopathy risk; niacin causes flushing. ezetimibe, evolocumab, alirocumab, bempedoic acid, fenofibrate…
Antiplatelets 5 drugs Stop platelets from sticking together — the first responders of clot formation in arteries.
Treats: Post-MI · Post-stent · Stroke prevention · Peripheral artery disease
Bleeding — worse when stacked with anticoagulants, NSAIDs, or SSRIs. aspirin, clopidogrel, ticagrelor, prasugrel, dipyridamole
Anticoagulants 9 drugs Slow the clotting cascade itself — prevent and treat clots in veins and the heart.
Treats: Atrial fibrillation stroke prevention · DVT/PE treatment and prevention · Mechanical heart valves (warfarin only)
Life-threatening bleeding; warfarin needs INR monitoring; DOACs dosed by kidney function. warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran, edoxaban…
Antiarrhythmics 9 drugs Reset or steady the heart's electrical system — powerful drugs that can also cause the arrhythmias they treat.
Treats: Atrial fibrillation rhythm control · Ventricular tachycardia · SVT
Proarrhythmia and QT prolongation; amiodarone injures thyroid, lungs, and liver over time. amiodarone, sotalol, flecainide, propafenone, dofetilide…
Vasopressors 6 drugs ICU drips that squeeze blood vessels to rescue a crashing blood pressure.
Treats: Septic shock · Cardiogenic shock · Anaphylaxis (epinephrine) · Post-arrest hypotension
Extravasation causes tissue necrosis — central line preferred; tissue ischemia at high doses. norepinephrine, epinephrine, vasopressin, phenylephrine, dopamine…
Inotropes 3 drugs Make a weak heart squeeze harder when the pump itself is failing.
Treats: Cardiogenic shock · Acute decompensated heart failure · Bridge to transplant/device
Arrhythmias and increased myocardial oxygen demand; milrinone causes hypotension. dobutamine, milrinone, digoxin
Modern Heart Failure Agents 4 drugs The newer pillars of heart failure care — ARNI, SGLT2 inhibitors, and add-ons that improve survival.
Treats: Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction · Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
Hypotension and hyperkalemia (ARNI); never combine sacubitril-valsartan with an ACE inhibitor — angioedema. sacubitril-valsartan, ivabradine, hydralazine, vericiguat
