ABSTRACT
Background: Patients with prehypertension have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The coexistence of prehypertension with risk factors increases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. That’s why it is important to treat pre-hypertensive patients having risk factors. The objective was to evaluate the effect of atenolol and nebivolol in pre-hypertensive patients. Methods: Pre-hypertensive patients having risk factors were selected, and non-pharmacological therapy was advised to all patients. Those patients who were not able to follow strictly non-pharmacological guidelines and remained pre-hypertensive were included in this study. Pre-hypertensive patients were divided into three groups. One group received atenolol 50 mg orally, once daily. Second group received nebivolol 5 mg orally, once daily. Third group received placebo orally, once daily. All groups received treatment for 1 month. Results: In the nebivolol group after 1 month of study, the mean reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 134.2±3.07-118.26±4.66 and mean reduction in diastolic BP (DBP) was 87.13±1.87-80.73±1.99. Reduction in SBP and DBP in the nebivolol group was significant (p≤0.0001). In the placebo, and atenolol group results were not significant. Conclusion: Nebivolol produces a significant reduction in SBP and DBP in pre-hypertensive patients. Atenolol and placebo did not show beneficial results.
ABSTRACT
Potassium (K+) is one of the most important ion present in the human body and involved in numerous physiological activities. It mainly affects heart and skeletal muscle but the effects are not confined to theses organs only. The article precisely focuses on the explaining the physiological as well as pathological aspects of potassium on cardiac tissue. This article tends to explain: The cause of difference in extra cellular and Intra cellular concentration of potassium when potassium channels are open in resting conditions, why are Purkinje fibers and ectopic tissue are more sensitive to effect of potassium, mechanisms responsible for increased action potential duration by hypokalemia and decreased action potential duration by hyperkalemia. Hypokalemia generates ectopic activities and hyperkalemia inhibits them, therapeutic effects of potassium administration without causing hyperkalemia. These issues will be discussed and try to be explained with the help of Ohm’s law , Nernst equation and Nernst potential to sort out the complicated actions of potassium on cardiac tissue in a simplified manner. The primary aim of article is to improve understanding of potassium physiology by medical graduates, secondarily, convey message regarding improvement in teaching methodology in Pharmacology for the benefit of new generations.