CARDIOVASCULAR

HEART VALVES
● Play a vital role in ensuring that
blood flows in the right when the
heart contracts and relaxes
CARDIOACCELERATORY CENTER
● Sends impulses along
CARDIOINHIBITORY CENTER What is cardiovascular drug classification?
● Sends impulses along The classes of CV drugs included
parasympathetic fibers to slow the antithrombotic agents (ATC code B01),
heart when the body rest diuretics (C03), beta-blockers (C07),
calcium channel blockers (C08),
CARDIAC CYCLE: renin-angiotensin system (RAS)-acting
1. Diastole: agents (C09), lipid-lowering drugs (C10),
the phase of the heartbeat when the and cardiac drugs (C01).
heart muscle relaxes and allows the
chambers to fill with blood.
2. Atrial systole:

3. Ventricular systole
1. Aspirin to prevent blood clots
Blood clots can block the flow of
blood through the arteries and lead to heart
attack or stroke. Aspirin is the most common
antiplatelet agent given to prevent blood
clots. It can reduce inflammation associated
with heart disease.
Physicians prescribe a daily aspirin
to patients who have had a prior heart attack,
had a stent implanted in the coronary
arteries or legs and patients who’ve had a
prior stroke or valve replacement.
2. ACE inhibitors or ARBs to treat high
blood pressure and other conditions
Angiotensin converting enzyme
(ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor
blockers (ARBs) dilate, or widen, blood
vessels. This helps improve the flow of
blood, eases the demands on the heart and
lowers blood pressure.
These drugs are often given for high
blood pressure and heart failure. They help
decrease the risk of heart attack or stroke in
people with heart disease. When given after
a heart attack, they help prevent heart
damage and future heart attacks.
3. Antiarrhythmics to treat arrhythmias
People with abnormal heart rhythms
may be prescribed antiarrhythmic
medications. They may have hearts that beat
too quickly, too slowly, or irregularly. These
drugs help regulate the heart’s electrical
activity so that the heart beats normally.
They may be used alone or combined
with procedures, such as an ablation, or
devices, such as pacemakers and/or internal
cardiac defibrillators to treat the most
concerning rhythm problems of the heart.
4. Anticoagulants (blood thinners) to
prevent blood clots
Anticoagulants are often called blood
thinners but they don’t actually thin your
blood. They help prevent blood from
coagulating or clotting.
They’re often taken by people
who’ve had heart attacks, have artificial
mechanical heart valves, or atrial
fibrillation. The most common form of these
drugs includes warfarin (Coumadin),
rivaroxaban (Xarelto), dabigatran (Pradaxa)
and apixaban (Eliquis).
5. Beta blockers to help your heart work
better
Beta blockers are often prescribed
after a heart attack to help the heart recover.
They minimize the effects of harmful
substances produced as a result of heart
failure. Some can also help improve the
heart’s ability to pump blood. Others may be
given to treat high blood pressure, angina
and abnormal heart rhythms.
Common beta blockers include
carvedilol (Coreg), nebivolol (Bystolic), and
metoprolol (Toprol).
6. Calcium channel blockers to treat
high blood pressure and other conditions
Calcium channel blockers decrease
the heart’s workload by increasing its supply
of blood and oxygen. They do this by
preventing calcium from entering the cells
of the heart and arteries. They can help treat
high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms
and angina.
 They are often given to people who *-( w/ PDE-I's = methylxanthines--caffiene,
cannot take beta blockers and include sildenafil
verapamil (Verelan) and diltiazem
(Cardizem).

7. Statins to lower “bad” cholesterol

Statins help to lower the levels of
low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol
(“bad” cholesterol) in the blood. They can
also lower triglyceride levels, which are
another type of normal fat in the blood that
when elevated increases the risk of
atherosclerosis (plaque build up).
Statins decrease bad cholesterol
production in the liver and inflammation in
cholesterol plaques. Common statins include
atorvastatin (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin
(Crestor).

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Direct vasodilators
● Dipines
Ca2+ blockers
Antihypertensives; Direct
vasodilators
Side effects = peripheral edema,
reflex tachycardia, postural
hypotension.
● Minoxidil
Antihypertensives; Direct
vasodilators
K+ agonist
For unresponsive hypertension
Side effects = Hirsutism => Rogaine
● NITROprusside
Antihypertensives; Direct
vasodilators
-metabolized to NO --> activates
cGMP => vasodilation => decr. BP
For hypertensive emergencies