Which class of medication is used primarily to decrease afterload in hypertension treatment?

Calcium channel blockers are primarily used to decrease afterload in the treatment of hypertension. These medications function by preventing calcium from entering the smooth muscle cells of blood vessels, which leads to vasodilation. As blood vessels relax and widen, the resistance against which the heart must pump (afterload) is reduced. This decrease in afterload is beneficial in lowering blood pressure and can help improve cardiac output in patients with hypertension.

Other classes of medications, although effective in managing hypertension, have different primary mechanisms of action. Thiazides primarily work by reducing blood volume through diuresis, ACE inhibitors lower blood pressure primarily by inhibiting the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II, which leads to vasodilation and decreased blood volume, and beta blockers primarily reduce heart rate and contractility, thereby lowering cardiac output rather than specifically targeting afterload. Thus, calcium channel blockers are uniquely positioned in their ability to directly affect afterload by promoting arterial relaxation.