Healthy Heart
e.g., amiodarone, beta-blockers, digoxin, disopyramide, flecainide, mexiletine, tocainide, verapamil. Sometimes the heart beats too fast, usually because of an abnormal pattern of conduction across the heart, and often the best treatment is with a drug. The heart is its own time-keeper, and each beat is normally signalled by one specialised portion of the heart, the … Read more
(1) Angina. -Beta-blockers help to prevent angina on exertion or stress by reducing the work done by the heart. (2) High blood pressure. -Beta-blockers are widely used for lowering high blood pressure, though the way they work is still not fully understood. Treatment is commonly combined with diuretics. (3) Abnormal heart rhythms. -Beta-blockers, rather like … Read more
ege, acebutolol, atenolol, labetalol, metoprolol, nadolol, oxprenolol, pinderlol, propranolol, sotalol, timolol. These widely prescribed drugs “block” or reduce the action of adrenaline and related hormones in increasing the heart rate and the strength of the heart-beat and they will, therefore, slow the heart rate. Exercise or excitement increases the secretion of adrenaline and related hormones: … Read more
(1) Nitrates: e.g., glyceryl trinitrate, isosorbide dinitrate/mononitrate These dilate both arteries and veins, and are the longest established drugs for the treatment of angina. (2) Calcium antagonists: e.g., nifedipine, verapamil, diltiazem These drugs interfere with the movement of calcium into muscle cells, so reducing the strength of contraction both of the muscle found in blood … Read more
(1) Heart failure. -In severe heart failure the arteries and arterioles may be more constricted than they need be, increasing the work load on the heart. Arterial vasodilators can then help by directly reducing the resistance against which the heart has to pump. Venous vasodilators (venodilators) help the veins carry an increased volume of blood … Read more
e.g., nitrates, calcium antagonists, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, hydralazine, prazosin. Put simply, vasodilators widen or open up blood vessels. With each heart-beat blood is pumped out into the large elastic arteries. These branch into smaller and smaller vessels called arterioles which convey it into the muscles and internal organs before it returns to the heart … Read more
(1) Heart failure-which simply means a reduction in the reserve capacity of the heart. This may be caused by a faulty valve in the heart, or by a weakening of the heart muscle itself. … Read more
e.g., bendrofluazide, frusemide, amiloride, spironolactone. These drugs increase the amount of urine produced by the kidneys. Obviously, once the new balance is achieved on regular treatment, you will not go on passing out more water than you drink; but the treatment reduces the amount of fluid in the body. Diuretics may be fast-acting or slow-acting. … Read more
(1) Atrial fibrillation-an irregularity of the heart-beat. Digoxin is especially effective in slowing and strengthening the heart in this condition. (2) Heart failure: Digoxin is one of the drugs for which correct dosage is very important: the right dose for one person may be an overdose for someone else. Side-effects may develop after some weeks … Read more
Digoxin is one of the oldest drugs used in modern medicine. Over 200 years ago a country doctor discovered that an extract of foxglove leaves helped patients with heart failure. The modern drug is produced chemically; it has the same effect as the older crude extract of foxgloves but it can be used with much … Read more