Keywords
How to Cite
Abstract
Arterial blood pressure is determined by cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance; these parameters are finely regulated through the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system, the sympathetic nervous system, renal sodium–water handling, and endothelial mediators. For this reason, the pharmacology of hypotensive (blood-pressure–lowering) and hypertensive (blood-pressure–raising, pressor) agents cannot be reduced to the simple idea of “lowering or raising the number”: such agents influence the heart, kidneys, brain, and peripheral vessels through different pathways and serve distinct goals in acute and chronic clinical settings
References
1. World Health Organization. Guideline for the pharmacological treatment of hypertension in adults. Geneva: WHO; 2021.
2. Unger T, Borghi C, Charchar F, et al. 2020 International Society of Hypertension Global Hypertension Practice Guidelines. Hypertension. 2020;75(6):1334–1357.
3. Mancia G, et al. 2023 ESH Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension. Journal of Hypertension. 2023.
4. European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Clinical practice guidance on elevated blood pressure and hypertension. 2024.
5. Evans L, Rhodes A, Alhazzani W, et al. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International guidelines for management of sepsis and septic shock 2021. Intensive Care Medicine. 2021.
6. Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM). Surviving Sepsis Campaign resources and guideline summaries. 2021.
7. Katzung BG. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology. 15th ed. McGraw-Hill; 2021.
8. Brunton LL, Hilal-Dandan R, Knollmann BC, eds. Goodman & Gilman’s The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 14th ed. McGraw-Hill; 2023.