Cardiovascular drugs

Question 1

Drugs for heart failure

Answer 1

Aldosterone antagonists
Loop diuretics
Sympathomimetics (cardiovascular)

Question 2

Drugs for angina

Answer 2

Nitrates

Question 3

Antihypertensives

Answer 3

Thiazide and related diuretics
Other diuretics
ACE inhibitors
Sartans
Calcium channel blockers
Beta-blockers

Question 4

Rationale for drug use
Drugs for heart failure

Answer 4

• Provide symptom relief and improve exercise tolerance.
• Prevent hospitalisation and deterioration in left ventricular function.
• Reduce mortality.

Question 5

Rationale for drug use
Angina

Answer 5

• Provide symptom relief.
• Reduce risk of death or MI.

Question 6

Rationale for drug use
Antihypertensives

Answer 6

Reduce premature cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and microvascular disease affecting the brain, kidneys and retinas.

Question 7

Drugs for arrhythmias

Answer 7

Antiarrhythmics

Question 8

Rationale for drug use
Arrhythmias

Answer 8

• Prevent sudden cardiac death.
• Prevent recurrence of life-threatening arrhythmias.
• Restore haemodynamic stability.
• Restore sinus rhythm.
• Control ventricular rate in AF (without restoring sinus rhythm).
• Provide symptom relief.

Question 9

Drugs for dyslipidaemia

Answer 9

Statins
Fibrates
PCSK9 inhibitors

Question 10

Rationale for drugs
Dyslipidaemia

Answer 10

Reduce progression of atherosclerosis, reduce risk of MI and stroke in patients with established CV disease, and improve survival.

Reduce premature CV morbidity and mortality in people at high risk of CV events.

Prevent pancreatitis due to hypertriglyceridaemia.