After reading this chapter, the student should be able to:
- Identify the major risk factors associated with hypertension.
- Describe how the pumping action of the heart creates blood pressure.
- Explain the effects of cardiac output, peripheral resistance, and blood volume on blood pressure.
- Discuss how the vasomotor center, baroreceptors, emotions, and hormones influence blood pressure.
- Describe how hypertension is classified.
- Outline a method for controlling borderline hypertension without drugs.
- Apply “stepped care” principles as they pertain to antihypertension drugs.
- For each of the following classes, identify representative medications and explain the mechanism of drug action, primary actions, and important side effects.
- Diuretics
- Calcium channel blockers
- Renin-angiotensin modifiers
- Adrenergic blockers
- Direct-acting vasodilators
- Categorize antihypertensive drugs based on their classification and mechanism of action.
