Drugs for treating cardiac disease Flashcards
Drugs for treating heart failure can broadly be one of 3:
Drugs that decrease preload
Drugs that decrease afterload
Drugs that enhance inotropic function
Preload
the volume of blood/hydrostatic pressure within the ventricles at the end of diastole
Afterload
the force that opposes ejection of blood into the peripheral arterial system
Indications for drugs that decrease preload:
excessive preload causes signs of congestion (pulmonary edema, pleural effusion, ascites)
Most effective for these problems are:
・ Diuretics
・ Venodilators (dilate the pulmonary blood vessels)
Most frequently used drugs for patients with heart failure are…?
diuretics
Increase in the excretion of sodium ➝ reduction in extracellular fluid volume ➝ lower circulating fluid volume ➝
reduction in preload.
3 main classes of diuretics:
loop,
thiazide,
potassium sparing
Act on different parts of the nephron.
Thiazide acts on what part of the nephron
distal convoluted tubule
Sequential nephron blockade
Sequential nephron blockade involves combining loop and thiazide diuretics.
Has been proposed as a strategy to overcome diuretic resistance and improve fluid overload management.
What type of diuretic is spironolactone?
class: potassium sparing
Mechanism: blockade of aldosterone receptors.
Side effects of diuretics:
polyuria, polydipsia
Complications:
・ Hypotension
・ Azotemia
・ Hypokalemia (loop), hyponatremia
First choice diuretic drug
furosemide
(then K+-sparing, then thiazides)
Furosemide is a
loop diuretic
First line therapy for patients with signs of congestion.
Patients can become refractory to the drug with chronic treatment.
➝ Higher doses
➝ Coadministration of diuretics that act at different sites in the nephron (combine thiazide or spirono.)
➝ Or substitute for torsemide (also a loop diuretic)
Use Thiazide diuretics if
Patients are refractory to furosemide and spironolactone (means that the drug isn’t or no longer is, producing the desired effect)
Spironolactone is a
K+-sparing diuretic, aldosterone receptor antagonist.
・ Insufficient natriuretic potency to be used as the sole diuretic - administered alongside other diuretics to potentiate their effect.
・ Benefits associated with its administration extend beyond diuretic effects - blocks detrimental effects of aldosterone on the vasculature and cardiac remodeling.
NB Cats may experience cutaneous adverse drug reactions.
Venodilators ease heart failure by
decreasing preload
(note: NOT the same as a VASOdilator! (venodilators dilate the veins so in this case pulmonary blood vessels (and vasodilators effect the arteries’ diameter))
Example of a common venodilator (note: NOT the same as a VASOdilator!)
Nitroglycerin
・ Adjunctive treatment of acute heart failure (with a loop diuretic)
・ Transdermal available
Adverse effects: rashes at the application sites, hypotension, headache.
Left ventricular afterload reduction via
systemic vasodilation
name some vasodilators for Left ventricular afterload reduction - systemic vasodilation (4)
・ Nitroprusside (vasodilator)
・ ACEI - angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors
・ Pimobendan (inotrope)
・ Ca channel blockers
Complications: hypotension (syncope, weakness, hypoperfusion).
Right ventricular afterload reduction via
pulmonary vessel vasodilation
Right ventricular afterload reduction - pulmonary vasodilation
・ Indication:
pulmonary hypertension
Examples of Right ventricular afterload reduction drugs (2)
Sildenafil - phosphodiesterase V inhibitor
Pimobendan may also have pulmonary vasodilatory properties in addition to its systemic vasodilating effects.
Nitroprusside effects?
Balanced effect - preload reduction through venodilation and afterload reduction through arteriodilation.
nitroprusside indications?
(reduces both preload and afterload)
Indications:
・ Acute/severe hypertension
・ Acute heart failure
・ In combination with dobutamine for refractory CHF.
・ CRI
・ Used only in ICU setting
Describe ACE-inhibitors.
e.g. Enalapril, benazepril
・ Inhibition of angiotensin converting
enzyme produces vasodilation, inhibits fluid
retention.
・ Part of chronic therapy for heart
failure.
・ Particularly beneficial in patients that are
also receiving diuretics.
Describe Ca channel blockers
Ca channel blockers are used to dilate vessels.
・ Numerous and varied cardiac electrophysiological and vascular effects
e.g. most commonly Amlodipine
Most frequently used for systemic hypertension.
・ In dogs, also as an afterload reducer for refractory heart failure (to patients already
receiving pimobendan and ACE-inhibitor).