An outlook on Concepts of Cardiovascular Pharmacology

Cardiovascular pharmacology deals with the treatment of heart diseases and disorders.

Various medications are used to treat the cardiac diseases, circulatory diseases and vascular diseases. Several cardiovascular agents like calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, Sodium, potassium and cardiac biomarkers are available to treat cardiovascular conditions. There are many types of cardiovascular drugs that include cardiac glycosides, anticoagulants, antiarrhythmic agents, anti anginal agents and antihypertensive agents.

Nitroglycerin is drug of choice for most of the cardiovascular diseases. Nitroglycerin is a smooth muscle relaxant that causes vasculature dilation. Major Two important physiologic effects of Nitroglycerin are systemic and regional venous dilation.

Clinical Cardiovascular Disorders:

Angina Pectoris

Arrhythmias

Edema

Heart Failure

Systemic Hypertension

Pulmonary Hypertension

Hypotension

Myocardial Infarction

Therapeutic Drug Classes:

Antianginal Drugs

Antiarrhythmic Drugs

Antihypertensive Drugs

Cardioinhibitory Drugs

Cardiostimulatory Drugs

Diuretic Drugs

Pressor Drugs

Thrombolytic Drugs

Vasoconstrictor Drugs

Vasodilator Drugs

Lipid-lowering drugs

Fibrinolytic drugs

Antiplatelet drugs

Anticoagulant drugs

Nitrates

Calcium channel blocking drugs

Angiotensin receptor antagonists

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors

Alpha-adrenoceptor blocking drugs

Beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs

Positive inotropic drugs: Catecholamines and PDE3 inhibitors

Positive inotropic drugs: Cardiac glycosides (digoxin)

Classification of drugs used in Cardiovascular System

Ø Diuretics

Bendrofluazide, Frusemide, Hydrochlorothiazide Tablets, Spironolactone

Ø Cardiac Glycosides

Digoxin, Digitoxin

Ø Anti-Arrhythmic Drugs

-    Class 1B

Lignocaine

-    Class 2 Beta Adrenergic Blocking Drugs

Atenolol, Bisoprolol, Propranolol

-    Class 3

Amiodarone, Adenosine

-    Class 4 Calcium Channel Blocker

Verapamil

Ø Anti-Hypertensive Therapy

-    Vasodilators

Hydralazine, Sildenafil Citrate, Minoxidil

-    Centrally Acting a-agonist

Bendrofluazide, Methyldopa

Ø Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) INHIBITORS

Captopril, Enalapril, Lisinopril, Perindopril

Ø Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonist

Losartan, Valsartan

Ø Anti-Anginal Drugs

-    Nitrates

Isosorbide Dinitrate, Glyceryl Trinitrate

-    Calcium Channel Blockers

Amlodipine, Diltiazem, Nifedipine

-    Beta-Adrenergic Blocking Drugs

Carvedilol, Labetalol, Metoprolol

Ø Sympathomimetics

Adrenaline, Dobutamine, Dopamine, Ephedrine, Metaraminol, Phenylephrine

Ø Anti-Coagulant And Anti-Platelet Drugs

Acetylsalicylic Acid, Clopidogrel, Dalteparin Sodium, Dipyridamole, Enoxaparin, Heparin, Warfarin

Ø Haemostatics

Aminocaproic Acid

Ø Fibrinolytic

Streptokinase, Tissue Plasminogen Activator

Ø Lipid Lowering Drugs

-    Anion Exchange Resins

Cholestyramine

-    Statins

Atorvastatin, Simvastatin

-    Other

Ezetimibe

-    Other Cardiovascular Drugs

     Diosmin, Milrinone, Prostaglandin, Pentoxifylline