Pharm Tutorial 3 - Cardiovascular Disease Flashcards
How does loosing weight help to reduce blood pressure?
- Extra weight means the heart needs to work harder to supply blood to all of the tissue
- Adipose tissue contains components of the renin angiotensin system which are not regulated like in the kidney
How does exercise reduce blood pressure?
- Reduced weight
- Increased circulation to the skin/muscles
- Widens the arteries
- Improves renal function
How does decreasing salt intake reduce blood pressure?
- Increased sodium in the blood
- Increased water reabsorption
- Increased blood volume
How does smoking cessation reduce blood pressure?
- Nicotine binds to the sympathetic ganglia to have vasoconstrictive effects
- Via the a1 adrenoreceptor
- 55-64 year old men who smoke have a 60% greater risk of dying of a heart attack
What sort of drug is bendrofluazide and how does it lower blood pressure?
- Thiazide diuretic which acts on the Na/Cl symporter in the distal convoluted tubule
- Reduces reabsorption of sodium and chloride, and therefore water reabsorption
- Subtle alterations in the contractile response of vascular smooth msucle upon long term administration
What kind of drug is ramipril?
ACE inhibitor
Why is warfarin given to patients with atrial fibrillation?
- Prophylactically
- Due to their increased risk of thromboembolism
What is the usual cause of angina?
- Insufficient supply of oxygen to the myocardium
- Stable angina caused by fixed narrowing of the coronary vessels by atheroma
- Unstable angina is usually associated with a thrombus partially occluding the vessels
What are GTNs and when are they used?
- Glyceryl trinitrate is an organic nitrate, which induces vascular relaxation via release of NO
- Can be used prophylactically immediately before exertion
How do statins work?
Inhibit cholesterol production by HMG CoA reductase
How does bisprolol work?
- B blocker
- Mainly B1 blocker, affecting HR and contrctility
- Most effective during exercise
How does aspirin work?
- Irreversibly inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX) activity, reducing thromboxane
- Thromboxane stimulates platelet aggregation
- Therefore, reduces the risk of thromboembolism
What is congestive heart failure?
- Heart cant pump enough blood to meet the bodys demand for oxygen
- Blood pools in the ankles resulting in ankle oedema
What is pendiperol?
ACE inhibitor
What is frusemide?
- Loop diuretic
- Acts on the ascending loop of Henle
- Reduces reabsorption of sodium and potassium
What is done when blood pressure is almost normal but still slightly high in patients with heart failure stabilised with an ACE inhibitor and diuretic?
- B blockers are used
- Dose is low at the beginning, especially in those with heart failure, to ensure that cardiac output is not reduced too low
