ARBs are a class of drugs that halt the action of Angiotensin-II by blocking the binding between Angiotensin-II and Angiotensin-II receptors. This leads to reduced blood pressure as the blood vessels get dilated. This reduced blood pressure helps to ease heart failure as it now becomes easier for the heart to pump this blood. Commonly used ARBs are Irbesartan, candesartan, Losartan, Olmesartan, Telmisartan, valsartan, and azilsartan.
Mechanism
Angiotensin-II is a peptide hormone that increases blood pressure and promotes vasoconstriction especially by causing the muscles around the blood vessels to contract. The vasoconstriction also further causes hypertension. By blocking the binding of Angiotensin-II …show more content…
This interference ends up lowering the stress response initiated by the stress hormones. Beta blockers are structurally and functionally competitive antagonists that block the binding of catecholamines, epinephrine and norepinephrine with adrenergic beta receptors present on the sympathetic nervous system by blocking to the receptors themselves. These receptors mediate fear and flight-or-fight response. Beta blockers help combat heart failure by reducing the heart rate and by modulating the renin-angiotensin system in favour of reducing the oxygen demand of the heart. It reduces the secretion of renin which further lowers extracellular volume and increases the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. Catecholamines cause an increase in oxygen demand, increase in inflammatory mediator and cardiac remodelling which end up worsening heart failure. By blocking the Beta receptors which receive signal from catecholamines, these drugs are able to lower the deleterious effects of substances such as catecholamines and help to improve ejection fraction. The competitive binding of beta blockers is dependent on hydrogen bonds between the compound and the