Antihypertensives are a special class of drugs that are used in the treatment of hypertension or high blood pressure. There are various classes of antihypertensives including the most common ones such as diuretics, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and calcium channel blockers amongst many.  The main objectives of these antihypertensive drugs are to prevent important endpoints of hypertension such as heart failures, stroke etc. The different classes of antihypertensives vary widely in effectiveness, side effects and expenses. Expensive alternatives are not always more effective than a cheaper agent. The most effective drug in terms of combating hypertension has proven to be the thiazide diuretics and is widely regarded as a first line choice of drugs available for high blood pressure.
Diuretics assist the kidneys to get rid of the excess amount of water and salt from the blood and tissues from the body. However, only the thiazide-like diuretics have displayed evidence of having useful effects on the endpoints of high blood pressure and are thus taken as a first line choice for medications available to treat hypertension. It is considered that the thiazide like properties act better than the others because of its vasodilating characteristics. Although being one of the best proven drugs in terms of evidence and price, they are often not prescribed in equal frequency as the other drugs due to the off-patent factor of the pharmaceutical companies.