Archive for July, 2010

The Different Classes of Anti- Hypertensive Drugs

No Comments
Posted 29 Jul 2010 — by admin
Category Diseases and Conditions, Drugs

Cardiovascular drugs include anti- hypertensive drugs that are specifically indicated to lower high blood pressure.  High blood pressure is a result of many factors including inappropriate diet, unhealthy lifestyle, obesity, genetic factors, and state of health (presence of other diseases such as diabetes) and sometimes brought about by the side effects of some medicines.

There are several classes of drugs use as anti- hypertensive drugs and each class has different mechanisms of action to lower blood pressure.

Diuretics – These agents increase urine volume or output.  One factor that causes hypertension is the high level of sodium in the blood. Usually diuretics are combined with other drugs to achieve the ideal level of blood pressure.

Calcium channel blockers – This class of anti- hypertensive drugs are the most trusted to lower blood pressure.  Their therapeutic action involves the prevention of calcium entry into the cardiac and smooth muscle and in turn decreases blood pressure.

Vasodilators- These agents directly dilate blood vessels to lower blood pressure. They are indicated for severe hypertension.

The anti-lipidemics or anti-cholesterol drugs- High cholesterol level in the blood is one of the major causes of hypertension. Fat deposits in blood vessels cause atherosclerosis or the hardening of veins. These agents exert their effect by binding with cholesterol or triglycerides that circulates within the blood stream and facilitates their excretion.

There are still other classes of drugs that lower high blood pressure, their effectiveness varies from person to person.  You can evaluate the effectiveness of anti- hypertensive drugs by simply monitoring its effect on the blood pressure. If the blood pressure becomes normal, then it is effective.

Tags:

The Importance of Drug Laboratory Quality Control in Drug Development

No Comments
Posted 12 Jul 2010 — by admin
Category Drugs, Laboratory Procedures

By: Johanna Vallo

The process of manufacturing a drug substance involves several stages before it can be marketed and one area of such importance is the implementation of drug laboratory quality control. Standard operating procedures of drug manufacturing include quality check and quality assurance from the raw materials used to the finished products. It includes the checking of the specification standards of raw materials, packaging and labeling materials, and the random sampling of finished products.

Drug laboratory quality control is an assurance check that all drugs being manufacture pass quality standards set by different drug regulatory boards.  Quality control is necessary in every phase of drug development. The most important purpose of quality control in drug manufacturing is to make sure that the public can avail of safe and therapeutically effective medicines.

The impact of poor drug laboratory quality control will be low quality drugs or below standard quality medicines. This can lead to:

Lack or minimal therapeutic effect – If drugs have not gone quality checks, the major consequence is that they cannot exert their maximum therapeutic effects. The active constituent content of the drug may be minimal or does not comply with the labeled claim of the drug.

Adverse or toxic effects may occur- The worst result of poor quality control can result to death because of the drugs adverse effects or toxicities brought about by poor aseptic techniques implemented in the production process.

Loss of credibility of the drug firm- Poor quality drug can backfire to the company that manufactured them.  If drug laboratory quality control protocols are not followed, drug regulatory boards can order closure of the company.

Tags: ,

Side effects of Anticholestrol Drugs: A Closer Look

No Comments
Posted 09 Jul 2010 — by admin
Category Clinical Chemistry, Drugs

By: Joycelyn Maderas

In the desire to reduce the risks of stroke and heart attacks, anticholestrol drugs are prescribed to lower bad cholesterol level. Patients taking anticholesterol drug must be given precautionary measure before taking the drug and must be aware of the side effects of anticholestrol drugs to prevent possible undesirable effects of the drug.

Gastrointestinal Side effects of Anticholesterol Drugs

-          Constipation

-          Diarrhea

-          Heartburn

-          Abdominal pain

-          Black stool

Hepatic Side effects of Anticholesterol Drugs

-          Liver dysfunction, rarely causing mild hepatitis. Patients with liver disease should undergo liver function tests before the treatment

Muscular Side effects of Anticholesterol Drugs

-          Leg cramps

-          Myopathy or muscle damage

-          Rhabdomyolysi, fatal muscle damage caused by chemical, biological and physical factors

-          Unexplained muscle tenderness and weakness

-          Deformation of facial muscle

-          Increased in muscle movement

Neurologic Side effects of Anticholesterol Drugs

-          Loss of sensation in the lower extremities such as hands and feet

-          Headaches

-          Difficulty falling asleep

-          Polyneuropathy, simultaneously malfunctions of the peripheral nerves

-          Memory lost or disturbed

-          Back pain

-          Change in eye sight

-          Dysgeusia, lack of taste sensation

-          Depression

-          Lack of movement coordination

Renal Side effects of Anticholesterol Drugs

-          Fluid retention, accumulation of fluid within tissues of the body

-          Kidney failure, the kidney’s filtering system is damaged due to clogged muscle fibers

-          Urinary problems
Many of the side effects of anticholesterol drugs are dose dependent, it is very important to notify the doctor immediately if you experience some of the side effects. Balanced diet, exercise and weight loss are some of the important things to be considered in controlling the level of bad cholesterol in the body. We only take anticholesterol drugs when the natural remedies fail to lower the level of cholesterol in the body.

Tags: