Interaction of Drugs Used for the Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases

Combined therapy in cardiology is currently the most recognized method of treatment, especially in patients with hypertension. Approximately in 50 % of patients with hypertension, monotherapy is effective. However to achieve the desired effect in the remaining half of patients, simultaneous administration of two and sometimes three drugs is required. Numerous drugs with a fixed combination of two (and even three) antihypertensive drugs, often used in clinical practice, greatly simplify the dosage regimen of drugs and improve patients’ adherence to treatment. Unfortunately, simultaneous prescription of several drugs increases sharply the probability of inter-drug interaction with the increase in the number of prescribed drugs. The result of drug-drug intereaction may be unpredictable. Therefore, the ability to predict the possible adverse reactions in patients with cardiovascular diseases and to prescribe rationally combined pharmacotherapy is a guarantee of highly efficient and safe treatment.

Currently, rational combinations of antihypertensive drugs of different groups make hypertension therapy more comfortable and increases patients’ adherence to treatment. The authors present topical combinations of antihypertensive drugs in one drug: angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor + diuretic, β-adrenoblocker + diuretic; diuretic + angiotensin receptor antagonist; calcium antagonist + angiotensin receptor antagonist; calcium antagonist + β-adrenoblocker, and others.

The article presents an overview of both rational (calcium antagonist + diuretic, β-adrenoblocker + diuretic,) and irrational (angiotensin converting enzyme Inhibitor + potassium-sparing diuretic, angiotensin receptor blocker + potassium-sparing diuretic) combinations of antihypertensive drugs. Combinations of some hypotensive and antianginal drugs with drugs of other groups with a high risk of adverse reactions are presented.

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