Table 1.
The most commonly dispensed antihypertensive drug classes
| Drug class | Women, % | Men, % |
|---|---|---|
| Most common drugs (as single drug or used in combination) | ||
| β‐Blockers | 39 | 38 |
| Diuretics | 38 | 32 |
| CCBs | 29 | 34 |
| ACEIs | 27 | 36 |
| ARBs | 30 | 29 |
| MRAs | 3 | 3 |
| Other drugs | 0.4 | 1.1 |
| Most common drug combinations | ||
| β‐Blocker + diuretic | 17 | 15 |
| β‐Blocker + CCB | 13 | 16 |
| β‐Blocker + ACEI | 11 | 16 |
| β‐Blocker + ARB | 12 | 12 |
| ARB + CCB | 8 | 14 |
| ARB + diuretic | 16 | 15 |
| CCB + diuretic | 12 | 13 |
| ACEI + diuretic | 11 | 14 |
| ACEI + CCB | 9 | 11 |
The most commonly dispensed antihypertensive drug classes in 2013 in 154 230 women and 138 393 men with a recorded diagnosis of hypertension. ACEIs indicates angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors; ARBs, angiotensin receptor blockers; CCBs, calcium channel blockers. Amiloride was considered a diuretic, whereas mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) was recorded separately. Other antihypertensive drugs were mostly doxazosin (90%) and moxonidine (8%). All differences between women and men were significant (P < .01).