How can I help you?… czyli angielski w aptece – Hypertension treatment

Pharmaceutical care of patients with hypertension is a very important part of treatment. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a chronic disease in which the force of blood against artery walls is too strong. This condition may damage the arteries, heart, and kidneys. Unfortunately, more and more patients develop heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
According to norms, optimal blood pressure is defined as less than 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). In short, when we think about hypertension, either or both of the following are present: the systolic is 140mmHg or higher, the diastolic is 90 mmHg or higher.

Some people may only need lifestyle changes to control their high blood pressure, while others need medical intervention as well. Most people with high blood pressure will need two or more medicines to lower their blood pressure to below 140/90 mmHg. This is the goal for people with uncomplicated hypertension. If you have other conditions, such as diabetes, heart failure, coronary arterial disease, or chronic kidney disease, your goal blood pressure is less than 130/80 mmHg.

Drug treatment of hypertension is usually conducted with medicines from the following groups: beta-blockers (e.g. bisoprolol), diuretics (e.g. furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide) and potassium-sparing diuretics (e.g. spironolactone), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (i.e. ACEI, e.g. lisinopril), calcium channel blockers (e.g. amlodipine). Physicians also use alpha-blockers (e.g. doxazosin) as alternative first-line agents quite often, as well as vasodilators (e.g. hydralazine). Usually pharmacological therapy of hypertension uses a combination of drugs.

It is incredibly important for a pharmacist to be very careful when recommending drugs for hypertensive patients. Lots of medicines demonstrate interactions with anti-hypertensive drugs. Many preparations, such as non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, may decrease therapeutic action of
anti-hypertensive drugs. Others, like pseudoephedrine or dextromethorphan, may exacerbate hypertension.

Questions. Choose TRUE or FALSE.
1. Hypertensive heart disease and stroke are late complications of hypertention.
2. Normal blood pressure is exactly 120/80 mmHg.
3. You have hypertension if your systolic blood pressure is between 120 and 140 mmHg.
4. If your hypertension is accompanied with diabetes, heart or kidney diseases, you should aim to keep your blood pressure at less than 130/80 mmHg.
5. Beta-blockers are used as a first-line therapy in hypertension.
6. All medicines interact with anti-hypertensive drugs.

#Glossary
• hypertension treatment – leczenie nadciśnienia tętniczego
• pharmaceutical care – opieka farmaceutyczna
• blood pressure – ciśnienie tętnicze krwi
• artery walls – ściany tętnic
• stroke – udar
• according to norms – zgodnie z normami
• millimeters of mercury – milimetry słupa rtęci (mmHg)
• systolic – skurczowy
• diastolic – rozkurczowy
• goal – cel
• uncomplicated hypertension – niepowikłane nadciśnienie
• diabetes – cukrzyca
• heart failure – niewydolność serca
• coronary arterial disease – choroba wieńcowa
• chronic kidney disease – przewlekła choroba nerek
• to conduct – przeprowadzać, prowadzić
• first-line therapy – terapia pierwszego rzutu
• non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug – niesteroidowy lek przeciwzapalny
• to exacerbate – zaostrzać, rozdrażniać
• beta-blocker – beta-bloker
• potassium-sparing diuretic – diuretyk oszczędzający potas
• angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor – inhibitor konwertazy angiotensynowej
• calcium channel blocker – bloker kanałów wapniowych
• alpha-blockers – alfa-bloker
• vasodilator – środek rozszerzający naczynia

Correct answers: 1. true, 2. false, 3. false, 4. true, 5. true, 6. false