Which adverse effect will the nurse monitor for in a patient who is receiving nifedipine?

Antihypertensive drugs affect different areas of blood pressure control so in most cases, these agents are combined for synergistic effect.

Ninety percent of cases of hypertension have no known cause. Therefore, the main action of antihypertensive agents is to alter the body’s regulating mechanisms [e.g. baroreceptors, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, etc.] responsible for maintaining normal blood pressure.

Different people have different responses towards hypertensive agents because hypertension is multifactorial. For an instance, the presence of comorbidities [e.g. diabetes, myocardial infarction, etc.] may make some antihypertensives not suitable for treatment. 

• Antihypertensive Agents: Generic and Brand Names
• Disease Spotlight: Hypertension
• ACE Inhibitors
  • Therapeutic Action
  • Indications
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Contraindications and Cautions
  • Adverse Effects
  • Interactions
  • Nursing Considerations
    • Nursing Assessment
    • Nursing Diagnoses
    • Implementation with Rationale
    • Evaluation
• Angiotensin II-Receptor Blockers
  • Therapeutic Action
  • Indications
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Contraindications and Cautions
  • Adverse Effects
  • Interactions
  • Nursing Considerations
    • Nursing Assessment
    • Nursing Diagnoses
    • Implementation with Rationale
    • Evaluation
• Calcium-Channel Blockers
  • Therapeutic Action
  • Indications
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Contraindications and Cautions
  • Adverse Effects
  • Interactions
  • Nursing Considerations
    • Nursing Assessment
    • Nursing Diagnoses
    • Implementation with Rationale
    • Evaluation
• Vasodilators
  • Therapeutic Action
  • Indications
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Contraindications and Cautions
  • Adverse Effects
  • Interactions
  • Nursing Considerations
    • Nursing Assessment
    • Nursing Diagnoses
    • Implementation with Rationale
    • Evaluation
• Practice Quiz: Antihypertensive Agents
• Recommended Resources
• See Also
• References and Sources

Antihypertensive Agents: Generic and Brand Names

Here is a table of commonly encountered antihypertensive drugs, their generic names, and brand names:

Disease Spotlight: Hypertension

Hypertension affects 20% of the population of the United States alone.

Types

Ninety percent of these cases have no known cause and is termed as essential hypertension. Of this type, there is elevated total peripheral resistance. Also, the organs are perfused effectively and people with essential hypertension usually exhibit no symptoms. It is also the reason why hypertension is tagged as the “silent killer.”

Another type of hypertension called secondary hypertension is characterized by elevated blood pressure due to a known cause. For example, a tumor in the adrenal medulla called phaeochromocytoma can cause the organ to release a high amount of catecholamines, which greatly increase blood pressure.

Categories

A category rating the severity of hypertension has been devised and the classifications of blood pressure are as follows:

• Normal – systolic: