Question

Explain Hypertension, and what happens to the body. Explain the medication propranolol and how it works to treat hypertension.

Answer 1

Hypertension is a medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is constantly elevated. The patient may not be symptomatic always but they have a higher chance of having a stroke, heart attack, renal disease, atrial fibrillation, peripheral arterial disease, vision loss, and dementia, etc

Diagnostic criteria when it is measured on two different days, the systolic B.P on both days is ≥140 mmHg and/or the diastolic BP readings on both days is ≥90 mmHg.

classification

1.primary hypertension

which is due to due to nonspecific lifestyle and genetic factors. lifestyle factors that lead to hypertension include excess salt in the diet, excess body weight, smoking, and alcohol abuse. Its also known as essential hypertension.

2.secondary hypertension,

is due to an identifiable cause, like narrowing of the kidney arteries, chronic kidney disease, an endocrine disorder, or the use of birth control pills, etc

There have been many bodily changes noted with hypertension that includes increased resistance to blood flow (total peripheral resistance)but many a time cardiac output remains normal. Hardening and thickening of the arteries or atherosclerosis are noted in chronic hypertensive patients. It can lead to a heart attack, stroke. If uncontrolled it causes blood vessels to weaken and bulge, forming an aneurysm. Hypertension also leads to renal dysfunction. The metabolic syndrome includes; high triglycerides; low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, high blood pressure high insulin levels, and increased waist circumference. Narrowed arteries lead to limited blood flow to the brain, causing vascular dementia.

Propranolol is a non-selective beta receptor antagonist.P. It competes with sympathomimetic neurotransmitters for receptors, which in turn prevents sympathetic stimulation of the heart. This also causes less calcium influx to cardiac myocytes through voltage-gated L-type calcium channels producing reduced heart rate and lower arterial blood pressure. Currently, none of the beta-blockers are used as a first-line medication for hypertension as their effects are inferior to other medications.