Hypertension Paper Example

Introduction

Hypertension is a chronic disease that occurs in every one out of three adults in the United States (Arcangelo et al., 2017). Hyperlipidemia refers to an elevation of the blood cholesterol levels. Both diseases have been linked as contributing factors to other severe conditions such as stroke, heart failure and myocardial infarct (Arcangelo et al., 2017). An essential element to consider is the ethnicity of the patient, which affects the outcome of medical treatment. African -Americans have co-morbid factors which create pharmacological treatment resistance during the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Studies conducted by the American Heart Association show that 40% of African-Americans have a higher mortality rate as a result of coronary artery disease in comparison to patients from other races (Patel & Stewart, 2015).

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Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics

The ethnicity of a patient contributes to the variability in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs and lead to the different responses to drug therapy (Arcangelo et al., 2017). Most African-American hypertensive clients need combination antihypertensive drug treatment to regulate blood pressure and achieve levels that are consistent with the target goals (Patel & Stewart, 2015). Antihypertensive treatment aims at reducing cardiovascular and renal morbidity and mortality.

Improve Therapy

A higher percentage of African-American clients necessitate combined antihypertensive drug remedy. Thus a thiazide diuretic in combination with the ACE inhibitor is preferred (Drugs.com., 2017). Comprehensive lifestyle changes in addition to the reduction of sodium in the diet should be recommended for African-American patients. The patient has a history of obesity and has gained nine pounds recently; therefore, weight loss should be part of the treatment recommendations. The alternative prescription would be 50mg daily of Beta-blocker, or it can be eliminated and replaced with Doxazosin 4mg daily. The sertraline 80mg dose should be maintained while the hydralazine 10mg prescription eliminated (Drugs.com., 2017). The patient should be monitored for improved cholesterol levels and fluid retention. Furthermore, the simvastatin dose should be decreased from 80mg to 40 mg daily at bedtime (Drugs.com., 2017).

References

Arcangelo, V. P., Peterson, A. M., Wilbur, V., & Reinhold, J. A. (Eds.). (2017). Pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice: A practical approach (4th ed.). Ambler, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Drugs.com. (2017). Simvastatin dosage. Retrieved from https://www.drugs.com/dosage/simvastatin.html#Usual_Adult_Dose_for_Prevention_of_Cardiovascular_Disease

Patel, A, & Stewart, F. (2015). On hypertension and the elderly: An epidemiologic shift. Retrieved from https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2015/02/19/14/55/on-hypertension-in-the-elderly