Blood Pressure as a Drug Target : Hypertension Flashcards
What is the equation for blood pressure?
Cardiac Output X Peripheral Resistance = Blood Pressure.
What is peripheral resistance?
How TIGHT are your blood vessels?
What are the 3 factors which determine peripheral resistance?
Autonomic Resistance = Sympathetic activity INCREASES.
Pharmacological Agents = Vaso-constrictor drug INCREASES resistance.
Blood Viscosity = Increasing the viscosity INCREASES then resistance.
What is cardiac output?
Amount of blood the heart pumps through the circulatory system in 1 minute.
What happens to the peripheral resistance, when the arteries constrict?
The resistance increases.
What is blood pressure?
Pressure in the vessels = Gives an indicator of when the heart has beaten and when it has relaxed.
What is systolic pressure?
Amount of pressure in your arteries during contraction of your heart muscle.
What is diastolic pressure?
Blood pressure when your heart muscle is relaxing from beating.
How is blood pressure normally given?
Systolic Pressure // Diastolic Pressure (mmHg)
What is the normal range for blood pressure?
90/60 to 120/80 mmHg.
What can increase blood pressure?
Exercise
Diet (increasing in salt // fat)
Age
What can decrease blood pressure?
Exercise
Diet (decreasing in salt // fat)
Atrioventricular valve
Why is blood pressure known as a surrogate marker?
It can cause other clinical conditions : Furthermore, you could have the problem but NO symptoms.
Name some long - term complications of hypertension.
Coronary Heart Disease Stroke Cardiac Hypertrophy Peripheral Vascular Disease Kidney Disease Retinopathy
Why is coronary heart disease a long term complication?
This arises due to the heart working under INCREASED PRESSURE.
Can lead to blood clot formation.
Why is stroke a long term complication?
This arises due to weakened arteries and the pressure build - up can cause the arteries to burst.
This leads to internal bleeding in the brain.
What is classed as an abnormal blood pressure?
Anything above 180 mmHg.
What is cardiac hypertrophy?
Abnormal Enlargement // Thickening of the heart muscle.
Why is cardiac hypertrophy and failure classed as a long term complication?
Prevents the heart from working normally and therefore, pressure builds up and destroys the heart vessels.
What are the symptoms of cardiac hypertrophy?
Chest Pain
Feeling Dizzy
Shortness of breath
Rapid Heartbeat
What is another name for cardiac hypertrophy?
Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.
What is peripheral vascular disease?
A blood circulation disorder which causes the blood vessels outside your heart andbrair to NARROW // BLOCK // SPASM.
What is a knock on effect of peripheral vascular disease?
Blood supply to the vessels can be blocked off by FAT DEPOSITS building up in the vessels.
Why is kidney disease classed as a long term complication?
The blood vessels and filters in the kidney are DAMAGED : thus, the removal of waste is hard.
Kidney shrinks due to high blood pressure = due to blood supply being reduced to the kidney tissue.
What is retinopathy?
Damage to the retina of the eyes = can cause vision impairment.
How is damage done to the retina?
When blood pressure INCREASES, the retina’s blood vessels thicken and so the vessels THICKEN.
This damages the retina’s blood vessels.
What are the major cardiovascular risk factors?
Gender = Male Age = The older you are, the greater the risk. Family History Lack of exercise Smoking Ethnicity = South Asian // African
What are the symptoms of low blood pressure?
Fainting Blurred Vision Nausea Fatigue Lack of concentration
What is the main issue that arises with low blood pressure?
Lack of blood flow to the organs of the body.
What does a lack of blood flow to the organs with low blood pressure mean?
Stroke
Heart Attack
Kidney Failure
Bowel Ischemia
