Patient was educated on nonselective Beta blockers and mechanism of action used for management of hypertension as follows:
- Nonselective Beta blockers are drugs that inhibit the action of adrenaline on both the Beta-1 and Beta-2 receptors.
- Inhibition of Beta-1 receptors result in slowing of heart rate and decreases the force of contraction of heart muscle.
- Inhibition of Beta-2 receptors result in vasoconstriction and bronchoconstriction. Vasoconstriction results in increased blood pressure and bronchoconstriction results in reduced airflow and difficulty breathing with exacerbation of asthmatic symptoms and shortness of breath.
- Reduction in heart rate contributes to low blood pressure. Decrease in the force of contraction of heart muscle will bring about reduction in the amount of blood pumped out of heart, which also contributes to low blood pressure.
- The reduced heart rate and the force of contraction will also contribute to reduced work performed by the heart. As the work of heart is reduced, the oxygen requirement of heart also is reduced.
- Reduction in the oxygen requirement of the heart muscle will help situations of compromised cardiac function, such as, heart failure.
- These nonselective Beta blockers can be used to reduce the blood pressure, abnormally high heart rate, and to reduce workload on the heart in patients with compromised cardiac function. But, these medications should be used cautiously for the risk of bronchoconstriction and exacerbation of asthmatic symptoms with shortness of breath.
