Running Head: PHARMACOLOGY 2
Hypertension and Hyperlipidemia
Student Name
Institution
Author Note
High blood pressure and hyperlipidemia cases are continually increasing in our society. Some of the factors that cause these conditions include aging, lifestyle, gender, genetic factors, or ethnicity. This paper discusses the first case scenario of patient AO, the different processes involved in the treatment, and how the patient’s medical therapy may be improved.
Patient AO has been diagnosed with hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Besides, the patient recently gained nine pounds in weight. There are many ways to treat hypertension and hyperlipidemia using thiazide diuretics, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), among other drugs. However, before administering these drugs, one should consider their side effects and also other medical conditions the patient might have. The patient has a history of obesity. The daily prescription of the drugs the patient uses include Atenolol 12.5 mg, Doxazosin 8 mg, Hydralazine 10 mg, Sertraline 25 mg, and 80 milligrams of Simvastatin.
In the case scenario, aging can be one of the factors that reduce pharmacokinetics. Aymans et al. (2010) posit that for people above the age of 65, their pharmacokinetics are influenced by kidney malfunction. Therefore, excretion of the administered drugs is not done effectively. The accumulation of these drugs in the body may, in turn, cause adverse effects to the health of the patient. For example, Hydrazine, a vasodilator, is known to have a side effect of water and salt retention which may lead to weight gain. Aging also reduces the first-pass metabolism. As a result, drugs that require this process may take longer to metabolize. One of the ways of increasing pharmacokinetics is through exercise. Also, ageing causes stiffening of arteries which may lead to hypertension (Sun, 2015). Vigorous activity is known to increase the rate of metabolism in the body. Also, the patient can be put under weight loss therapies to reduce weight. I would advise that some of the drugs with similar functions can be eliminated like Atenolol which has the same role as Doxazosin.
In conclusion, many of the drugs used for the treatment of hypertension and hyperlipidemia have both positive and adverse side effects. Healthy practices, like exercise, can be used to minimize these effects.
References
Sun, Z. (2015). Aging, arterial stiffness, and hypertension. Hypertension, 65(2), 252-256.
Aymanns, C., Keller, F., Maus, S., Hartmann, B., & Czock, D. (2010). Review on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and the aging kidney. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 5(2), 314-327.