Which term describes a medication that increases blood flow?

The term that describes a medication aimed at increasing blood flow is "vasodilator." Vasodilators work by relaxing the smooth muscles in blood vessels, which leads to the widening of those vessels. This process decreases vascular resistance and allows for improved blood flow throughout the body. Vasodilators can be particularly helpful in treating conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and heart diseases, as they help reduce the workload on the heart by allowing blood to flow more freely.

In contrast, the other options represent different categories of medications that do not primarily focus on increasing blood flow. Tricyclics are typically antidepressants that affect neurotransmitter levels in the brain. Unlabeled refers to uses of medications that do not have FDA approval for those specific uses, thus not defining a type of medication with a particular therapeutic effect. Analgesics are pain-relieving medications, which serve to reduce pain but do not inherently increase blood flow like vasodilators do.