Question

Which factors affect cardiac output? What types of changes in cardiac output can be made to try and treat hypertension and congestive heart failure? Many classes of drugs affect cardiac output, which one is in JNC 8 protocol.

Answer 1

1) The factors that affects cardiac output can be group into primary and secondary factors.Primary factors are blood volume reflexes, autonomy innervation and hormones. Secondary factors includes body temperature, sex,age , emotions. Cardiac output is the quantity of blood that the heart pumps in one minute. Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart is not pumping out enough blood when it's beats. Changes in cardiac output can be made to treat heart failure by 1)increasing the heart beat rate. 2) pump enough blood with each beat. Changes in cardiac output to treat hypertension, The blood volume is elevated which increases cardiac output by the Frank Starling relationship. The systemic vascular resistance are decreased by the intake of vasodilator drugs. JNC 8 protocol that affect cardiac ouput is the guidelines that recommends the introduction of drugs therapy to lower a systolic BP( SBP) of > 150 mmHg or a Diastolic BP(DBP) of >90mmHg for general population at age 60 or older.