HNG 540 MAIN EXAMINATION SET QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔What is one of the main adverse effects of calcium channel blockers? - ✔✔GI
related symptoms (nausea, vomiting, upset stomach)
✔✔What do Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) treat? - ✔✔heart failure, and
coronary artery disease
✔✔What 2 medication types are chosen to treat heart failure and coronary artery
disease in combination? - ✔✔ace inhibitors and ARBS
✔✔What do ACE inhibitors and arbs do in combination - ✔✔have a protective effect on
the heart and lower blood pressure
✔✔Why are ARBs used in patients with heart failure? - ✔✔they block the effects of
angiotensin II, cause vasodilation and reduces afterload
✔✔mechanism of action for ARBs - ✔✔blocks the acitons of agiotensin II which
isoveractive in heart failure, and causes blood vessels to relax and dilate; reduces the
afterload and decreases the workload of the heart resulting in the heart that can pump
more efficiently
✔✔Example of an ARB - ✔✔Losartan
✔✔What medications is digoxin usually given with? - ✔✔diuretics and an ace inhibitor
✔✔What are digitalis drugs used for? - ✔✔congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillaiton
✔✔Example of a digitalis drug - ✔✔digoxin
✔✔digoxin mechansim of action - ✔✔inhibits the sodium potassium pump in cardiac
cells; DECREASING AUTOMATICITY AND CONDUCTION VELOCITY THROUGH
THE AV NODE VIA CENTRAL VAGAL STIMULATION
✔✔Why is digoxin used to treat atrial fibrillation? - ✔✔due to its mechanism of action
decreasing conduction velocity through the AV node via vagal stimulaiton
✔✔What are first line agents for treatment of atrial fibrillation? - ✔✔beta blockers
✔✔How do beta blockers control atrial fibrillation? - ✔✔they effectively maintain sinus
rhythm and control the ventricular rate during atrial fibrillation
, ✔✔Adverse reactions of digoxin - ✔✔high levels can lead to PVCs and disturbances in
electrical activity of the heart
✔✔What is amiodarone used for? - ✔✔to terminate and treat ventricular arrhythmia;
especially v tach and v fib
✔✔What do class 3 antiarrhythmics do? - ✔✔block cardiac tissue K channels in cell
membranes increasing the duration of ventricular and atrial muscle action by inhibiting
potassium channels and voltage gated sodium channels
✔✔examples of class III antiarrhythmics - ✔✔amiodarone, and dronedarone
✔✔Adverse effects of amiodarone - ✔✔adverse effects including several organs and
tissue types INCLUDING THE HEART; decreased rate of automaticity of ventricular
ectopic beats
✔✔preferred medication to treat hyperlipidemia - ✔✔bile acid sequestrants due to their
unique mechanism of action and minimal risk of hepatic side effects
✔✔mechanism of action for bile acid sequestrants - ✔✔bind to bile acids in the
intestines preventing the reabsorption of the bile acids and leading to their excretion in
the feces; liver then converts more cholesterol into bile acids thus reducing the overall
cholesterol levels in the body
✔✔examples of bile acid sequestrants - ✔✔cholestyramine
✔✔What medication is commonly used to lower high triglyceride levels? -
✔✔gemfibrozil because it effectively targets triglycerides and improves lipid profiles
✔✔What type of medication is gemfibrizil? - ✔✔a fibrate increasng lipolysis
✔✔Besides lowering triglycerides gemfibrozil also... - ✔✔increased HDL cholesterol,
helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events
✔✔what do beta receptor agonists do? - ✔✔decrease airway resistance usually through
beta 2 adrenergic receptors in the smooth muscle of the bronchioles of the lungs
✔✔mechanism of action of beta 2 agonists - ✔✔binds to and activated beta 2
adrenergic receptors located on the muscle cells in the bronchioles causing relaxation
of the smooth muscle surrounding the airways, causing bronchodilation
✔✔What is the first line of therapy in reactive airway disease? - ✔✔Beta 2 receptor
agonist ALBUTEROL
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔What is one of the main adverse effects of calcium channel blockers? - ✔✔GI
related symptoms (nausea, vomiting, upset stomach)
✔✔What do Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) treat? - ✔✔heart failure, and
coronary artery disease
✔✔What 2 medication types are chosen to treat heart failure and coronary artery
disease in combination? - ✔✔ace inhibitors and ARBS
✔✔What do ACE inhibitors and arbs do in combination - ✔✔have a protective effect on
the heart and lower blood pressure
✔✔Why are ARBs used in patients with heart failure? - ✔✔they block the effects of
angiotensin II, cause vasodilation and reduces afterload
✔✔mechanism of action for ARBs - ✔✔blocks the acitons of agiotensin II which
isoveractive in heart failure, and causes blood vessels to relax and dilate; reduces the
afterload and decreases the workload of the heart resulting in the heart that can pump
more efficiently
✔✔Example of an ARB - ✔✔Losartan
✔✔What medications is digoxin usually given with? - ✔✔diuretics and an ace inhibitor
✔✔What are digitalis drugs used for? - ✔✔congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillaiton
✔✔Example of a digitalis drug - ✔✔digoxin
✔✔digoxin mechansim of action - ✔✔inhibits the sodium potassium pump in cardiac
cells; DECREASING AUTOMATICITY AND CONDUCTION VELOCITY THROUGH
THE AV NODE VIA CENTRAL VAGAL STIMULATION
✔✔Why is digoxin used to treat atrial fibrillation? - ✔✔due to its mechanism of action
decreasing conduction velocity through the AV node via vagal stimulaiton
✔✔What are first line agents for treatment of atrial fibrillation? - ✔✔beta blockers
✔✔How do beta blockers control atrial fibrillation? - ✔✔they effectively maintain sinus
rhythm and control the ventricular rate during atrial fibrillation
, ✔✔Adverse reactions of digoxin - ✔✔high levels can lead to PVCs and disturbances in
electrical activity of the heart
✔✔What is amiodarone used for? - ✔✔to terminate and treat ventricular arrhythmia;
especially v tach and v fib
✔✔What do class 3 antiarrhythmics do? - ✔✔block cardiac tissue K channels in cell
membranes increasing the duration of ventricular and atrial muscle action by inhibiting
potassium channels and voltage gated sodium channels
✔✔examples of class III antiarrhythmics - ✔✔amiodarone, and dronedarone
✔✔Adverse effects of amiodarone - ✔✔adverse effects including several organs and
tissue types INCLUDING THE HEART; decreased rate of automaticity of ventricular
ectopic beats
✔✔preferred medication to treat hyperlipidemia - ✔✔bile acid sequestrants due to their
unique mechanism of action and minimal risk of hepatic side effects
✔✔mechanism of action for bile acid sequestrants - ✔✔bind to bile acids in the
intestines preventing the reabsorption of the bile acids and leading to their excretion in
the feces; liver then converts more cholesterol into bile acids thus reducing the overall
cholesterol levels in the body
✔✔examples of bile acid sequestrants - ✔✔cholestyramine
✔✔What medication is commonly used to lower high triglyceride levels? -
✔✔gemfibrozil because it effectively targets triglycerides and improves lipid profiles
✔✔What type of medication is gemfibrizil? - ✔✔a fibrate increasng lipolysis
✔✔Besides lowering triglycerides gemfibrozil also... - ✔✔increased HDL cholesterol,
helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events
✔✔what do beta receptor agonists do? - ✔✔decrease airway resistance usually through
beta 2 adrenergic receptors in the smooth muscle of the bronchioles of the lungs
✔✔mechanism of action of beta 2 agonists - ✔✔binds to and activated beta 2
adrenergic receptors located on the muscle cells in the bronchioles causing relaxation
of the smooth muscle surrounding the airways, causing bronchodilation
✔✔What is the first line of therapy in reactive airway disease? - ✔✔Beta 2 receptor
agonist ALBUTEROL
