Anti Hypertension Test Lab Report

Anti-hypertensives function to lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Different classes of medications act in different ways to lower blood pressure. Some medications lower blood pressure by decreasing fluid volume, some reduce peripheral resistance, and others reduce cardiac output. Some medications use a combination of the three.

Thiazide diuretics lower blood pressure by decreasing fluid volume. They inhibit sodium reabsorption which causes increased urination. Increased urination causes a decrease in fluid volume and therefore lowers blood pressure. Another class of anti-hypertensives is beta-adrenergic blockers, also known as beta blockers. Beta blockers work by blocking beta receptors is the heart. These beta receptors are responsible for increasing contractility and increasing pulse. By blocking these receptors with a beta blocker the medication decreases the force of contractions in the ventricles as well as decreases heart rate. The decrease in contractility and heart rate lead to lower cardiac output

A common side effect of ACE inhibitors is a dry cough. While not fully understood, the cough is believed to be caused by a buildup of bradykinin. This buildup of bradykinin causes inflammation and a release of histamine which is believed to causes the dry cough some users of ACE inhibitors develop.

ACE inhibitors act by inhibiting angiotensin II. Angiotensin II raises blood pressure by vasoconstriction causing peripheral resistance. Blocking Angiotensin II prevents vasoconstriction and reduces blood pressure. Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBS) do not inhibit the production of Angiotensin II. ARBS prevent Angiotensin II from reaching its designated receptors which prevents the vasoconstriction effects of Angiotensin II. ARBS generally do not cause the cough associated with ACE inhibitors. It also has a lower risk of