ANTICOAGULANTS & ANTIPLATELET DRUGS
Anticoagulants, commonly referred to as blood thinners, are drugs that prevent or reduce coagulation of blood, prolonging the clotting time. Antiplatelet drugs, also known as a platelet aggregation inhibitors, decrease platelet aggregation and inhibit clot formation. These drugs play an important role in the treatment of various disorders such as myocardial infarction, thrombotic stroke and… Read more »
HYPERTENSION & ANTIHYPERTENSIVES
Antihypertensives are a class of drugs that are used to treat hypertension. Antihypertensive therapy seeks to prevent the complications of high blood pressure such as heart attack and stroke. This pharmacology lecture covers topics such as pathophysiology of hypertension, regulation of blood pressure, cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, baroreceptors, alpha & beta receptors, vasoconstriction, vasodilation,… Read more »
DIURETICS
Diuretics, commonly called water pills, are drugs that promote diuresis, that is increased production of urine. Diuretics work on the kidneys to eliminate water and electrolytes thus they have important applications in renal and cardiovascular disorders. This pharmacology lecture covers topics such as structure and function of nephron; afferent arteriole, Bowman’s capsule, glomerulus, efferent arteriole,… Read more »
ANTIARRHYTHMIC DRUGS
Antiarrhythmics are drugs that are used to treat abnormal rhythms of the heart, such as atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. In general, antiarrhythmic drugs work by suppressing abnormal impulse formation, suppressing abnormal impulse conduction, or prolonging effective refractory periods. This pharmacology lecture covers topics such as cardiac conduction system: SA node,… Read more »
ANTIDEPRESSANTS – SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, MAOIs, Lithium
Antidepressants are drugs used for the treatment of major depressive disorders as well as other conditions including anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD), eating disorders, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder and some chronic pain. Most antidepressants act by increasing the synaptic availability of serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine. This pharmacology lecture covers topics such as monoamine hypothesis… Read more »