You might remember alpha receptors are a type of adrenergic receptor that play a role in our sympathetic nervous system, which is our flight or fight response when we are in stressful or dangerous situations. In other words, alpha blockers are alpha receptor antagonists.Īlpha blockers lower blood pressure primarily by blocking the alpha-1 receptors on blood vessels. The mechanism of action is self explanatory by their name as they block alpha receptors. The next class of antihypertensives is alpha blockers. **While using these suffixes is a great way to remember most of the drug names within each antihypertensive class, there are exceptions and this is not a hard-and-fast rule. **In short, be aware that the suffix “dipine” mainly applies to dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers.įinally, many (but not all) of the diuretics use the suffix “ide” The EZmed calcium channel blocker post will go into more detail on both the dihydropyridines and non-dihydropyridines. Since dihydropyridines are used more for hypertension, we will focus on those in this post. There are 2 main types of calcium channel blockers - dihydropyridines and non-dihydropyridines.ĭihydropyridines are used more for hypertension as they predominately target blood vessels, while nondihydropyridines (verapamil and diltiazem) are used more for tachydysrhythmias as they predominately target the heart. Many (but not all) calcium channel blockers end in “dipine”, particularly the dihydropyridines. **In short, be aware that “osin” mainly applies to selective alpha-1 blockers.īeta blockers usually have the suffix “lol”Ĭalcium Channel Blockers = “dipine” (Dihydropyridines) The EZmed alpha antagonist post will go into more detail on both the selective and nonselective types of alpha blockers.
Since nonselective alpha blockers are used more for catecholamine-induced hypertension, we will focus on selective alpha-1 antagonists for purposes of this post. Nonselective alpha blockers include phentolamine and phenoxybenzamine, which are considered in the treatment of pheochromocytoma and cocaine-induced hypertension. There are also non-selective alpha-1 and alpha-2 blockers, and they typically end in “mine”. It is important to note that the suffix “osin” or “zosin” mainly applies to selective alpha-1 blockers. The simple trick to remember the medications within each antihypertensive drug class is to use the suffix of their name.Īngiotensin II receptor blockers typically have the suffix “sartan”Īlpha Blockers = “osin” (Selective Alpha-1)Īlpha blockers end in “osin”, and many of the alpha blockers specific to treating hypertension end in “zosin”. You can use the “C” to remember Central agonists, and you can use the “D” to remember Dilators for vasodilators. While there are other antihypertensives out there, these are the main ones and generally the more common ones.įor example, there are also central agonists and vasodilators that can be used to lower blood pressure. The “C” stands for calcium channel blockers.įinally the “D” is to help you remember diuretics. “B” will help you remember beta blockers. The second “A” stands for angiotensin II receptor blockers, also known as ARBs “A” will stand for several different antihypertensive medications with the first one being angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, also known as ACE inhibitors. There are several different classes of antihypertensives, and they can be remembered using the acronym “ABCD”.Ī = Ace Inhibitors A = ARBs A = Alpha Blockers
As mentioned above, antihypertensives are medications that treat high blood pressure or hypertension.
0 kommentar(er)
