Guided Learning - Pharmacologic Treatment of Arterial Hypertension

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Pathophysiology of Arterial (Systemic) Hypertension

What is hypertension? click here
What is the difference between essential and secondary hypertension? click here
What are several causes of secondary hypertension? click here
How do changes in cardiac output and systemic vascular resistance influence mean arterial pressure? click here
How do changes in blood volume affect arterial pressure? click here
What are systolic and diastolic aortic pressures? click here
What factors determine central venous pressure? click here
How do autonomic nerves regulate arterial pressure? click here
How do arterial baroreceptors regulate arterial pressure? click here
What roles do the following humoral factors play in regulating arterial pressure?
How does each of the following cause hypertension? click here
- renal artery stenosis
- chronic renal disease
- primary hyperaldosteronism
- stress
- sleep apnea
- hyper- or hypothyroidism
- pheochromocytoma
- preeclampsia
- aortic coarctation

How do drugs that dilate blood vessels, reduce blood volume, or reduce cardiac output lead to a decrease in arterial pressure? click here
How do diuretics decrease blood volume? click here
What are the differences between thiazide, loop, and potassium-sparing diuretics in terms of their site of action in the kidney and their overall efficacy in lowering blood pressure? click here
By what mechanisms do each of the following mechanistic classes of drugs lower arterial pressure? What specific drugs (generic names) are FDA-approved in each of these classes? Which of the following can cause orthostatic hypotension and reflex tachycardia?

Revised 10/28/2023