Heart Failure and Angina Pectoris Lecture Notes

The flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the heart failure and angina pectoris lecture, including symptoms, drug classes, mechanisms of action, and treatment strategies.

Angina Pectoris

Chest pain due to obstruction or spasm of coronary arteries, occurs when myocardial oxygen demand exceeds supply.

Stable Angina

Predictable episodes of chest discomfort occurring during exertion or stress, relieved by rest or nitroglycerin.

Unstable Angina

Chest pain that can occur at rest and is often more severe, usually due to reduced blood flow to the heart.

Variant Angina

Also known as Prinzmetal angina, it's caused by spasm in the coronary arteries.

Vasodilators

Medications that dilate blood vessels, used to treat angina and reduce preload and afterload.

Beta Blockers

Drugs that block beta adrenoceptors, reducing heart rate and myocardial contractility, important in angina management.

Calcium Channel Blockers

Medications that prevent calcium from entering cells of the heart and blood vessel walls, resulting in decreased heart contractility and dilation of arteries.

Nitroglycerin

A vasodilator used for angina that works by increasing the supply of oxygen to the heart.

Tolerance

A condition where the effectiveness of nitrates diminishes due to continuous exposure, leading to the need for higher doses.

Pharmacodynamics of Nitroglycerin

Involves the activation of guanylate cyclase, increasing cyclic GMP and causing smooth muscle relaxation.

Hemoglobin and Nitrites

Nitrite ion reacts with hemoglobin to produce methemoglobin, which has high affinity for cyanide and is relevant in cyanide poisoning treatment.

Heart Failure

A condition characterized by the heart's inability to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs.

Preload

The load on the heart created by the volume of blood received during diastole.

Afterload

The load against which the heart must contract to eject blood during systole.

Digoxin

A positive inotropic agent that improves myocardial contractility, often used for heart failure.

Spironolactone

A diuretic that blocks aldosterone, useful in treating heart failure by reducing fluid overload.

Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs)

Drugs that block the effects of angiotensin II, reducing blood pressure and cardiac workload.

Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

A treatment for heart failure that coordinates the contraction of the heart's ventricles.