Black Health

Medication Reference

Medications A-Z

A library of drug guides focused on a single question: how is this medication different for Black patients? Every page leads with the published evidence, cites FDA labels and professional-society guidelines, and flags uncertainty where the research is mixed or absent.

Drug class

All ACE inhibitor Aldosterone antagonist (potassium-sparing diuretic) Angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) Atypical opioid; CYP2D6-activated mu-opioid agonist plus SNRI Beta blocker Beta blocker (non-selective with alpha-1 blockade) Biguanide CNS stimulant (Schedule II) Calcium-channel blocker Direct-acting oral anticoagulant (DOAC), factor Xa inhibitor Endogenous hormone (sold as dietary supplement in US) GLP-1 / GIP dual receptor agonist GLP-1 receptor agonist Gabapentinoid (α2δ calcium channel ligand) Inhaled corticosteroid + long-acting beta-2 agonist (ICS + LABA) Insulin (basal and prandial) Integrase strand transfer inhibitor Integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) + NRTIs — single-tablet HIV regimen Leukotriene receptor antagonist Loop diuretic Macrolide antibiotic NSAID Non-opioid analgesic and antipyretic Norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI) Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors — HIV PrEP and treatment component P2Y12 platelet inhibitor (thienopyridine) Penicillin antibiotic Proton pump inhibitor Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) SGLT2 inhibitor SSRI SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) Serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI) Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) Short-acting beta-2 agonist (SABA) Statin Statin (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor) Sulfonylurea Thiazide diuretic Thiazide-type diuretic Thyroid hormone Vitamin K antagonist (oral anticoagulant)

Used for

All indications ADHD ADHD (off-label) Acne Advanced CKD Allergic rhinitis Angina Antiphospholipid syndrome Anxiety Anxiety disorders Arthritis Asthma Asthma (add-on) Asthma (including SMART) Asthma (rescue) Atrial fibrillation Atrial fibrillation rate control Atypical pneumonia Bulimia CKD COPD COPD exacerbation CV prevention Cardiovascular risk reduction Cardiovascular risk reduction in T2D Chlamydia Community-acquired pneumonia Coronary artery disease DKA DVT/PE DVT/PE treatment and prevention Delayed sleep phase disorder Dental prophylaxis Depression Depression (FDA); Insomnia (off-label Diabetic kidney disease Edema Epilepsy adjunct; widely used off-label for neuropathic pain Erosive esophagitis Exercise-induced bronchospasm Fever GERD Generalized anxiety Generalized anxiety disorder Gestational diabetes Gonorrhea (with ceftriaxone) Gout flare H. pylori (with antibiotics) H. pylori component HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) HIV treatment component HIV-1 treatment HIV-1 treatment (initial and switch) Heart failure Heart failure (reduced + preserved EF) Hyperlipidemia Hypertension Hypertension (second-line) Hypertension with low eGFR Hypothyroidism Inflammation Insomnia (off-label) Jet lag Mechanical heart valves Menstrual cramps Mild-to-moderate pain Moderate to moderately severe pain Narcolepsy OCD Obesity Obstructive sleep apnea with obesity Otitis media PAD PAD (low dose + aspirin) PCOS PCOS hirsutism PMDD PTSD Pain Panic disorder Pediatric depression Peptic ulcer disease Post-MI Post-herpetic neuralgia (FDA) Post-stent Prediabetes Primary aldosteronism Primary and secondary CV prevention Resistant hypertension Seasonal affective disorder Shift-work sleep disorder Sinusitis Smoking cessation Social anxiety Strep pharyngitis Strep pharyngitis (PCN-allergic) Stroke prevention (lacunar) Stroke prevention in LVH TSH suppression in thyroid cancer Type 1 diabetes Type 2 diabetes UTI Vasomotor symptoms of menopause (Brisdelle) Zollinger-Ellison syndrome anxiety fibromyalgia insomnia most common US use)

Amlodipine

Calcium-channel blocker

Brand: Norvasc, Katerzia

Amlodipine is one of two guideline-preferred first-line antihypertensives for Black adults without CKD or heart failure (the other being a thiazide-type diuretic). …

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Atenolol

Beta blocker

Brand: Tenormin

Beta blockers, including atenolol, are not recommended as first-line therapy for uncomplicated hypertension in any adult — Black or non-Black — per …

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Carvedilol

Beta blocker (non-selective with alpha-1 blockade)

Brand: Coreg, Coreg CR

Carvedilol has the most favorable evidence base for Black patients with heart failure among beta blockers. The COPERNICUS trial (Packer et al., …

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Chlorthalidone

Thiazide-type diuretic

Brand: Thalitone

Chlorthalidone has the strongest outcome evidence of any first-line antihypertensive in Black adults. The ALLHAT trial randomized 15,094 Black participants and found …

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Furosemide

Loop diuretic

Brand: Lasix

Furosemide itself has no major race-specific efficacy signal — it works through a transporter (NKCC2) that is not genetically variable in ways …

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Hydrochlorothiazide

Thiazide diuretic

Brand: Microzide, HCTZ

Thiazide-type diuretics are guideline-preferred first-line agents for Black adults with uncomplicated hypertension (2017 ACC/AHA, Whelton et al., 2018). Importantly, however, leading hypertension …

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Lisinopril

ACE inhibitor

Brand: Prinivil, Zestril, Qbrelis

The 2017 ACC/AHA hypertension guideline (Whelton et al., Hypertension 2018;71:e13–e115) recommends that Black adults without chronic kidney disease be started on a …

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Losartan

Angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB)

Brand: Cozaar

ARBs share the same efficacy caveat in Black patients that ACE inhibitors do: as monotherapy for uncomplicated hypertension, ARBs lower blood pressure …

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Spironolactone

Aldosterone antagonist (potassium-sparing diuretic)

Brand: Aldactone, CaroSpir

Spironolactone has a disproportionately important role in Black patients with resistant hypertension, defined as blood pressure above goal on three drugs at …

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