Cardiovascular Pharmacology: A Comprehensive Overview
*Introduction - Cardiovascular pharmacology encompasses the study of drugs that influence the heart and blood vessels, aiming to treat disorders such as hypertension, heart failure, arrhythmias, ischemic heart disease, dyslipidemia, and thromboembolic conditions. Because cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, understanding the mechanisms, therapeutic uses, and adverse effects of cardiovascular agents is critical for optimizing patient care. This article provides an in-depth, systematic exploration of the key drug classes, their pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, clinical applications, and future directions in cardiovascular therapeutics. 1. Fundamental Concepts in Cardiovascular Pharmacology 1.1 Physiology Recap Cardiac Output (CO): Product of stroke volume (SV) and heart rate (HR); determines organ perfusion. Blood Pressure (BP): BP = CO × systemic vascular resistance (SVR). Drugs target CO, SV...