The Best Blood Pressure Medicine

A recent meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal compared the efficacy of different classes of blood pressure medications in preventing coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke.

The investigators found that all blood pressure medicines are equally effective in preventing CAD and stroke.

Beta Blockers (e.g. metoprolol, carvedilol) were more effective in preventing future episodes of heart attacks in people who already had one. For primary prevention of CAD beta blockers were no more effective than other blood pressure lowering medications.

For 10mm reduction in systolic BP and 5mm diastolic BP:-

Risk reduction in CAD = 22%

Risk reduction in stroke = 41%

Calcium channel blockers (e.g. amlodipine) were slightly more effective in preventing stroke than other classes of medicines.
Read BMJ meta analysis..