Cardio-vascular drugs

Cardiovascular medications are used as a means to control or to prevent certain forms of heart disease. Many people with advanced heart disease may take several of these drugs, and drug treatment may change if the disease advances or improves.

Types of cardiovascular drugs may be broken into groups depending upon their action or what they treat. Categories that might describe drug actions include the following: statins, diuretics, anticoagulants, anti-platelet, beta-blockers, digitalis drugs, vasodilators, calcium channel blockers, and ACE (angiotensin-converting enzymes) inhibitors.

Statins may be better known to people as cholesterol-lowering drugs. When people are unable to control cholesterol levels through diet and exercise, doctors may prescribe different types of statins.

Diuretics are cardiovascular drugs that help to reduce fluid retention. These may also reduce blood pressure, though they usually aren’t first line blood pressure medications. When the body is retaining fluid, though, this can often make the heart work harder, and the intent with using diuretics is to reduce heart workload.

Anticoagulants lengthen the time it takes for blood to clot, which can help prevent formation of blood clots that might cause stroke. People who have artificial valves, who have had a stroke, or who are at risk for one may need an anticoagulant like warfarin to minimize future risk.

Anti-plateletdrugs may be preferred to anticoagulants, and simple ones include medication like aspirin. These also work to keep blood clots from forming but through a different mechanism than most anticoagulants.

Beta Blockers have numerous uses. They may help control blood pressure, slow fast arrhythmias, and reduce chest pain associated with angina. The various beta-blockers result in a slower heartbeat that may help control numerous heart disease symptoms and which may reduce future risk of heart attack.

Digitalis is a good contrast to beta-blockers. Medications with digitalis stimulate the heart to beat more forcefully. Some people with arrhythmias may require this medication, and other times it is used when a person is in congestive heart failure.

Vasodilators like beta-blockers may reduce the work of the heart and they are often prescribed to treat chest pain resulting from angina.

Calcium Channel Blockers (CCB) are another group of cardiovascular drugs useful in the treatment of some forms of angina, and may also be prescribed to treat certain arrhythmias or high blood pressure.

An ACE inhibitor (or angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor) is a pharmaceutical drug used primarily for the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure) and congestive heart failure, although they may also be prescribed for cardiac failure, diabetic nephropathy, renal disease, systemic sclerosis, left ventricular hypertrophy and other disorders. An ACE inhibitor decreases some blood supply to the heart which reduces its work. Cardiovascular drugs that fall into this category might lower blood pressure and increase heart function.

The number of cardiovascular drugs and even the number of categories is extensive. Doctors may use a combination of drugs, or may try some, only to switch to other types that appear to work more effectively for an individual patient. For those taking cardiovascular meds, it’s always important to understand their purpose and have facts about each drug’s side effects and interactions. This is especially the case when a person must take more than one medication, since some drugs may have very significant interactions with others or a combination of medications may result in more difficult side effects.

Post-text assignments:

Exercise 7. Answer the following questions:

1. What medications are used as a means to control or to prevent certain forms of heart disease?

2. In what cases may any drug treatment be changed?

3. What groups may all types of cardiovascular drugs be divided into?

4. Depending upon what are all types of cardiovascular drugs broken into groups?

5. What drugs are better known to people as cholesterol-lowering drugs?

6. What pharmaceutical drugs are primarily used for the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure) and congestive heart failure?

7. What cardiovascular drugs may doctors prescribe when people are unable to control cholesterol levels through diet and exercise?

8. What helps to prevent formation of blood clots that might cause stroke?

9. In what case does a doctor switch to other types of medication?

10. What is always important to know for those taking cardiovascular meds?

Дата добавления: 2015-10-29