1) Briefly present the significance and clinical usage of cardiovascular drugs.
2) Briefly describe the mechanisms of blood pressure regulation.
3) Describe the difference between centrally and peripherally acting sympatholytics.
4) Describe and compare the mechanism of action of diuretics and renin-angiotensin inhibitors
5) Describe and compare the mechanism of action of calcium channel blockers and direct vasodilators
6) Using nifedipine as an example of calcium channel blockers, explain the mechanism of action on L-type calcium channels.
How different is the action of nifedipine comparing to verapamil?
7) Does nifedipine act on cardiac muscle cells and vascular smooth muscle cells in the same way? What effect can we expect to be useful in clinical practice?
8) What is a major clinical application for calcium channel blockers?
9) Briefly present the most common side effects of cardiovascular drugs. Why some of them can cause electrolyte abnormalities, dysrhythmias, fluid retention, hypotension, angioedema or peripheral edema?
10) What side effects are directly related to long-term use of renin-angiotensin inhibitors?
11) What side effects are directly related to long-term use of calcium channel blockers?
12) Describe the mechanism of action and clinical application of antihypertensive drug that can cause lupus-like syndrome
13) Briefly describe the mechanism of action of diuretics. Give a comparison of diuretics based on their site of action, side effects and clinical applications.
14) Briefly describe the major factors affecting the rate of onset and clinical effect of diuretics. What is diuretic resistance?
15) Compare the actions of antiarrhythmics from different antiarrhythmic drug classes.
16) Present the most common drug-drug interactions between antiarrhythmics and other cardiovascular drugs.
17) What major side effects of antiarrhythmics limit their clinical use, especially for long term preventive therapy?