Both the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease requires a responsible and serious approach. This kind of problem is becoming more and more common among people today. Therefore, many tend to treat them somewhat lightly. Such people often either completely ignore the need to undergo treatment, or take drugs without a doctor's prescription (on the advice of friends). However, it is important to remember that the fact that a drug has helped another does not guarantee that it will help you too. To form a treatment regimen, sufficient knowledge and skills are required that only specialists have. It is also possible to prescribe any drugs, only taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient's body, the severity of the disease, the features of its course and anamnesis. In addition, today there are many effective medicines that only specialists can select and prescribe. For example, this applies to sartans - a speciala group of drugs (they are also called angiotensin 2 receptor blockers). What are these drugs? How do angiotensin 2 receptor blockers work? Contraindications to the use of substances refer to which groups of patients? In what cases would it be appropriate to use them? What drugs are included in this group of substances? The answers to all these and some other questions will be discussed in detail in this article.
Sartans
The group of substances under consideration is also called as follows: angiotensin 2 receptor blockers. The drugs belonging to this group of drugs were produced due to a thorough study of the causes of diseases of the cardiovascular system. Today, their use in cardiology is becoming more common.
Angiotensin 2 receptor blockers: mechanism of action
Before you start using prescribed drugs, it is important to understand exactly how they work. How do angiotensin 2 receptor blockers affect the human body? The drugs of this group bind to receptors, thus blocking a significant increase in blood pressure. This helps to effectively prevent hypertension. Angiotensin 2 receptor blockers are the most effective substances in this regard. Specialists pay due attention to them.
Angiotensin 2 receptor blockers: classification
There are several types of sartans that differ in their chemical structure. It is possible to choose blockers suitable for the patientangiotensin 2 receptors. The drugs listed below, it is important to research and discuss the appropriateness of their use with your doctor.
So, there are four groups of sartans:
- Biphenyl tetrazole derivatives.
- Non-biphenyl tetrazole derivatives.
- Non-biphenyl netetrazol.
- Non-cyclic compounds.
Thus, there are several types of substances into which angiotensin 2 receptor blockers are divided. The drugs (list of the main ones) are presented below:
- "Losartan".
- "Eprosartan".
- "Irbesartan".
- "Telmisartan".
- "Valsartan".
- "Candesartan".
Indications for use
You can take substances of this group only as directed by your doctor. There are several cases in which it would be reasonable to use angiotensin 2 receptor blockers. The clinical aspects of the use of drugs in this group are as follows:
- Hypertension. It is this disease that is considered the main indication for the use of sartans. This is due to the fact that angiotensin 2 receptor blockers do not have a negative effect on metabolism, do not provoke erectile dysfunction, and do not impair bronchial patency. The effect of the drug begins two to four weeks after the start of treatment.
- Heart failure. Angiotensin II receptor blockers inhibit the action of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, whose activity andprovokes the development of the disease.
- Nephropathy. Due to diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension, serious disorders in the functioning of the kidneys occur. Angiotensin II receptor blockers protect these internal organs and prevent too much protein from being excreted in the urine.
Losartan
An effective substance that belongs to the group of sartans. "Losartan" is an angiotensin 2 receptor blocker-antagonist. Its difference from other drugs is a significant increase in exercise tolerance in people suffering from heart failure. The effect of the substance becomes maximum after six hours from the moment of taking the medicine. The desired effect is achieved after three to six weeks of using the drug.
The main indications for the use of this medicinal product are as follows:
- heart failure;
- arterial hypertension;
- reducing the risk of stroke in those patients who have the prerequisites for this.
It is forbidden to use "Losartan" during the period of bearing a child and during breastfeeding, as well as in case of individual sensitivity to individual components of the drug.
Angiotensin 2 receptor blockers, to which the drug in question belongs, may cause certain side effects, such as dizziness, insomnia, sleep disturbance, taste disturbance, vision disturbance, tremor,depression, memory disorder, pharyngitis, cough, bronchitis, rhinitis, nausea, gastritis, toothache, diarrhea, anorexia, vomiting, convulsions, arthritis, pain in the shoulder, back, legs, palpitations, anemia, impaired renal function, impotence, weakening libido, erythema, alopecia, rash, pruritus, edema, fever, gout, hyperkalemia.
Take the drug once a day, regardless of food intake, in doses prescribed by your doctor.
Valsartan
This drug effectively reduces myocardial hypertrophy, which occurs due to the development of arterial hypertension. There is no withdrawal syndrome after discontinuation of the drug, although it is caused by some angiotensin 2 receptor blockers (the description of the sartans group helps to clarify which drugs this property belongs to).
The main indications for taking the substance in question are the following conditions: myocardial infarction, primary or secondary hypertension, congestive heart failure.
Pills are taken orally. They should be swallowed without chewing. The dose of the drug is prescribed by the attending physician. But the maximum amount of a substance that can be taken during the day is six hundred and forty milligrams.
Sometimes angiotensin receptor blockers can have a negative effect on the body 2. Side effects that Valsartan can cause: decreased libido, itching, dizziness, neutropenia, loss of consciousness,sinusitis, insomnia, myalgia, diarrhea, anemia, cough, back pain, vertigo, nausea, vasculitis, edema, rhinitis. If any of the above reactions occur, seek medical attention immediately.
Candesartan
The drug in question is made in the form of tablets for oral use. It should be taken once or twice a day at the same time regardless of the meal. You should carefully follow the recommendations of experts. It is important not to stop taking the drug even when you feel better. Otherwise, it may neutralize the effectiveness of the drug.
When using it, one should be careful for those patients who suffer from diabetes, kidney failure or are carrying a child. All these conditions must be reported to specialists.
Telmisartan
The drug in question is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract in a fairly short time. It can be taken with or without food. The main indication for use is arterial hypertension. The half-life of the drug is more than twenty hours. The drug is excreted through the intestine almost unchanged.
Do not take the drug in question while pregnant or breastfeeding.
The drug may cause the following side effectseffects: insomnia, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, depression, abdominal pain, pharyngitis, rash, cough, myalgia, urinary tract infection, low blood pressure, chest pain, palpitations, anemia.
Eprosartan
The drug in question should be taken once a day. The recommended amount of the drug for a single use is six hundred milligrams. The maximum effect is achieved after two to three weeks of use. "Eprosartan" can be both part of complex therapy and the main component of monotherapy.
Never use the drug in question during lactation or pregnancy.
What adverse reactions can occur when using "Eprosartan"? Among them are the following: weakness, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, rhinitis, cough, shortness of breath, swelling, chest pain.
Irbesartan
The drug in question is taken orally. It is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract in a short time. The maximum concentration of the substance in the blood occurs after one and a half to two hours. Eating does not affect the effectiveness of the medicine.
If a patient is prescribed hemodialysis, this does not affect the mechanism of action of Irbesartan. This substance is not excreted from the human body by hemodialysis. Similarly, the drug can be safely taken by patients suffering from mild to moderate cirrhosis of the liver.severity.
Medicine should be swallowed without chewing. Its use does not need to be combined with food intake. The optimal initial dosage is one hundred and fifty milligrams per day. Elderly patients are advised to start treatment with seventy milligrams. During treatment, your doctor may decide to change the dosage (for example, to increase it, provided there is insufficient therapeutic effect on the body). In this case, the patient may be prescribed a dose of three hundred milligrams of the drug or, in principle, replace the main drug. For example, for the treatment of those suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension, the dosage should be gradually changed from one hundred and fifty milligrams per day to three hundred milligrams (this is the amount of medication that is most effective in combating nephropathy).
There are certain features of the use of the drug in question. Thus, patients suffering from a violation of water and electrolyte balance, before starting treatment, it is necessary to eliminate some of its manifestations (hyponatremia).
If a person has impaired kidney function, then his treatment regimen may be the same as if there was no such problem. The same applies to mild to moderate hepatic dysfunction. At the same time, with simultaneous hemodialysis, the initial amount of the drug should be halved compared to the usual amount and be seventy-five milligrams.per day.
Specialists do not recommend the use of the drug in question to minors, as it has not been established how safe and effective it is for patients of this age.
"Irbesartan" is strictly contraindicated for use by women who are carrying a child, as it directly affects the development of the fetus. If pregnancy occurs at the time of therapy, the latter should be immediately canceled. It is recommended to switch to the use of alternative drugs even before the start of pregnancy planning. The drug in question is not allowed to be used during breastfeeding, as there is no information as to whether this substance passes into breast milk.
Summing up
Maintaining one's he alth is the personal responsibility of each person. And the older you get, the more effort you have to put in. However, the pharmaceutical industry provides invaluable assistance in this, constantly working to create better and more effective drugs. Including actively used in the fight against cardiovascular diseases and the angiotensin 2 receptor blockers discussed in this article. The drugs, the list of which was given and discussed in detail in this article, should be used and applied as prescribed by the attending physician, who is well acquainted with the current the state of he alth of the patient, and only under his constant control. Among such drugs are "Losartan", "Eprosartan","Irbesartan", "Telmisartan", "Valsartan" and "Kandesartan". The drugs in question are prescribed only in the following cases: in the presence of hypertension, nephropathy and heart failure.
If you want to start self-treatment, it is important to remember the danger that is associated with this. Firstly, when using the drugs in question, it is important to strictly observe the dosage and from time to time adjust it depending on the current condition of the patient. Only a professional can carry out all these procedures in the right way. Since only the attending physician can, on the basis of the examination and the results of the tests, prescribe the appropriate dosages and accurately formulate a treatment regimen. After all, therapy will be effective only if the patient adheres to the doctor's recommendations.
On the other hand, it is important to do everything possible to improve your own physical condition by following the rules of a he althy lifestyle. Such patients need to properly adjust their sleep and wakefulness patterns, maintain water balance, and adjust their eating habits (after all, poor-quality nutrition that does not provide the body with a sufficient amount of essential nutrients will not allow recovery to a normal rhythm).
Choose quality medicines. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Stay he althy!
