Feb 23, 2024 NURS 6521 Pharmacotherapy for Cardiovascular Disorders
NURS 6521 Pharmacotherapy for Cardiovascular Disorders
A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NURS 6521 Pharmacotherapy for Cardiovascular Disorders
Introduction
The processes that a medicine goes through in the body after administration are referred to as pharmacokinetics. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion are all included in this. Pharmacodynamics, on the other hand, deals with the effects that drugs have on the body, such as adverse effects. Variables like a patient’s genetics, gender, ethnicity, age, behavioral factors, medical history, and concurrent drugs all have an impact on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. According to the case study, these variables especially age do indeed change the drugs pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (Rosenthal. & Burchum, 2018).
Age influencing pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics
The patient is of advanced age whereby it has been stated that they are 74 years old this is indeed can affect the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics related to the drug. In advanced age you find the boy’s physiology has changed thus affecting the pharmacokinetics and elements such as absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion.
One of the most significant impacts in old age is whereby you’ll have a decreased glomeruli filtration rate which determines the level of drug elimination. Since it is decreased it could lead to the drug being retained in the system and leading to toxicity (Sieder et al., 2016).
In old age there is also decreased gastrointestinal motility thus leading to delayed absorption rate. This leads to delayed onset of pharmacological effects of drugs thus making them less effective. The peak drug concentrations are also affected hence the drug doesn’t reach its maximum capacity for effect (Mangoni & Jarmuzewska, 2019).
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Age also increases the body fat which could lead to increase the volume of distribution increases. Therefore if the drug has to be distributed to a wider area than affection it will affect its expected performance thus not delivering the desired therapeutic effect. Due to the increased body fat there is also decreased body water levels thus leading to the drug’s elimination half-lives also getting increased (Sieder et al., 2016).
NURS 6521 Pharmacotherapy for Cardiovascular Disorders
Having an advanced age also affects metabolism which mostly occurs in the liver. This occurs in due to the decreased required enzymes that may no longer be available due to the physiological changes that occur because of age. This also leads to decreased clearance hence the already metabolised drug aren’t cleared from the system (Mangoni & Jarmuzewska, 2019).
Age impacting pharmacodynamics occurs through decrease in effect for beta-adrenergic agents. This is due to decrease in response in the vascular, cardiac, and pulmonary tissues due to a decline in some required proteins. There is also reduced sensitivity to drugs due to the body’s receptors undergoing physiological changes. Therefore if the response and sensitivity is inhibited the desired therapeutic effect isn’t achieved. Homeostatic mechanisms are also seen to influence the pharmacodynamics in that in advanced age it is reduced. The mechanisms are seen to reduce in old age. Therefore in the case the drugs lead to adverse effects the body takes a longer period of time to return to the initial state (Sieder et al., 2016).
Changes in the Process that Impact the Patient’s Recommended Drug Therapy
Due to the old age the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics has been impacted. The absorption has been delayed due to decreased gastric motility, on the distribution end the volume of distribution has increased due to the increased body fat and the metabolism due to decreased enzymes has also decreased. The physiological changes in the glomeruli has decreased the glomeruli filtration rate hence decreasing excretion and could lead to toxicity. The pharmacodynamics due to decrease in sensitivity, decrease in response and reduced homeostatic mechanisms negatively affect it (Mancia et al., 2014).
Therefore encompassing all this there is a definite change in the recommended drug therapy in order to benefit the patient. The changes are in medication such as atenolol will be used in place of the beta-blocker metoprolol, starting at 25 to 200 mg per day. However, fast response is attainable with longer release modules and can be delivered thrice daily, thus it’s advised to begin new medication, notably such as beta-blockers, with prolonged release formulae.
Instead of ibuprofen that is contraindicated with warfarin patients should be prescribed acetaminophen orally 500mg thrice daily to manage the pain. I would also advise using lipid-lowering drugs other than statins to lower the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (Mangoni & Jarmuzewska, 2019).
How to Improve the Drug Therapy Plan
Patients with a high risk of cardiovascular disease, a heart attack, or is known diabetic, such as this patient, are advised to begin taking a moderate-intensity statin with the aim of reducing LDL-C levels by 30% or more. For this patient, it is advised to utilize Ezetimibe, administered orally at a dose of 10 mg each day. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, left ventricular dysfunction and diabetic neuropathy can receive treatment by use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. They can also be used to prevent strokes.
Starting doses of ramipril range from 1.25 mg to 2.5 mg orally every day. This medication is also recognized to lessen myocardial infarctions, strokes, and fatalities. Moreover aside from changes in medications can make other alterations such as diet change, smoking cessation, weight loss, provision of health education from medical professionals and physical activity is required (Mayor, 2017).
Conclusion
The majority of deaths globally are currently caused by cardiovascular disorders, and diabetes is frequently found in these people. It is thought that people with type diabetes are more likely than non-diabetics to die from cardiovascular illnesses. In order to get the best results in the management of cardiovascular diseases which aims to maximize the benefits of available treatments while minimizing patient harm clinicians must possess basic knowledge of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (Rosenthal. & Burchum, 2018).
References
Hoover, L. E. (2019). Cholesterol management: ACC/AHA Updates guideline. Https://eds-a- ebscohost-com-ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/pdfviwer/
Mayor, S. (2017). Pharmacokinetics: Optimizing safe and effective prescribing. Https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/psb.1551
Rosenthal, L.D. & Burchum. J.R. (2018). Lehne’s pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice providers. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
Sieder, S. T., Kalus, J. & Lanfear, D. E. (2016). Cardiovascular pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacogenomics for the clinical practitioner. Https://eds-a- ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/delivery/
Mancia, G., Fagard, R., Narkiewicz, K., Redon, J., Zanchetti, A., Böhm, M., & Galderisi, M. (2014). 2013 ESH/ESC Practice guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension: ESH-ESC: The Task Force for the management of arterial hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Blood Pressure, 23(1), 3-16.
Mangoni, A. A., & Jarmuzewska, E. A. (2019). The influence of heart failure on the pharmacokinetics of cardiovascular and non‐cardiovascular drugs: A critical appraisal of the evidence. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 85(1), 20-36.
The promotion of safety and quality in the treatment of patients with different conditions is important in nursing practice. Nurses and other healthcare providers utilize their knowledge in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to select treatments that will optimize outcomes while minimizing the potential of patient harm.
Factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, and genetics among others influence the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the medications prescribed to patients. Therefore, this essay examines the influence of age on LM’s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics processes. The essay also discusses the impact of the changes in the patient’s recommended drug therapy and how the treatment can be improved.
Effect of Age on Patient’s Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamics Processes
The selected factor that affects the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics of LM processes is age. Age significantly affects pharmacokinetics of drugs. Aging is associated with decreased small-bowel surface area, reduced gastric emptying, and elevated gastric PH. Changes such as an increase in the gastric PH affects the absorption of drugs such as calcium and enteric coated medications (Koren et al., 2019).
Aging also results in the decrease in the total body water and increase in the total body fat. The increase in body fat volume increases the total volume of distribution of lipophilic drugs and their elimination half-lives. Aging also lowers hepatic metabolism of most drugs. The decrease in cytochrome P-450 lowers the metabolism of drugs in the liver. This also affects first-pass metabolism of drugs before they enter the circulatory system. Aging is also associated with a decline in renal elimination of medications.
The elderly patients have reduced glomerular filtration rate, which affects the elimination of drug metabolites from the body (Drenth-van Maanen et al., 2020; Koren et al., 2019; Peeters et al., 2019). As a result, there is an increased risk of drug toxicity due to the accumulation of the metabolites in the body. These pharmacokinetic changes affect the treatment options and health status of LM.
Aging also affects pharmacodynamics of drugs. Pharmacodynamics refers to the study of the drug effect on the body. Aging is associated with reduced pharmacodynamics processes. One of the mechanisms contributing to the reduced pharmacodynamics is the limited functioning of drug receptor sites. There is also the reduction in the available drug receptors for drug binding. This reduces the effect of the drug on the body while increasing its blood bioavailability (Kratz & Diefenbacher, 2019). An example is seen in patients diagnosed with diabetes. They have low insulin receptors, which result in the elevated blood glucose levels.
The effect of aging on pharmacodynamics can also be seen from the exaggerated response to some drugs among this population. For example, older adults tend to show exaggerated responses to drugs that stimulate the central nervous system. The observation is because of the increased sensitivity to drugs by this population. In addition, aging reduces Gs protein interactions in the elderly patients. The decrease lowers cardiac, pulmonary, and vascular tissue to drugs such as those used in the treatment of hypertension(Stader et al., 2020). Therefore, nurses should consider these changes when prescribing drugs to elderly patients and other vulnerable populations.
Impact of the Changes in Processes on Patient’s Recommended Drug Therapy
The changes in the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics processes affect the patient’s recommended drug therapy. A decline in the drug metabolism in the liver affects the selection of drugs for the patient. Nurses and other healthcare providers should prescribe medications that do not undergo first-pass metabolism to preserve optimum hepatic function. A decline in renal function also affects the client’s recommended drug therapy(Peeters et al., 2019). Nurse practitioners prescribe medications that have other routes of excretion such as feces to promote renal functioning.
There is also the consideration of drug dosages with the changes in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Accordingly, nurse practitioners lower the dosage and frequency of hepatotoxic and renal toxic medications in patients with advanced ages to minimize the risk of harm and drug toxicity (Thürmann, 2020). The reduction in drug absorption due to lowered gastric physiological processes also increases the need for prescribing drugs that are administered through other routes such as intravenously and intramuscularly.
Improving Patient’s Drug Therapy
I will improve the patient’s drug therapy by avoiding polypharmacy. The patient currently uses several drugs that predispose her to harm and medication errors. An effective approach to her treatment would be reducing the number of drugs taken at a time to promote her health, safety, and quality. The other way in which I will improve her drug therapy is by titrating the drug dosage upwards. Elderly patients should be initiated on low dosage and increased upwards based on tolerance and efficacy (Koren et al., 2019).
I will modify the patient’s current treatment. I will lower the dosage of celecoxib to minimize the risk of hepatotoxicity and renal toxicity. I will also stop glyburide and retain metformin. Metformin has the benefit of reducing the risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients with multiple comorbidities that include cardiovascular conditions (Guo et al., 2019).
Conclusion
Aging affects pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics processes. Advancing age lowers pharmacokinetic processes such as drug absorption, metabolism, and elimination. It also affects pharmacodynamics processes such as drug binding to their receptor sites. These changes affect the recommended treatment plan for the patient in the case study. Polypharmacy should be avoided in treating LM for safety and quality outcomes.
References
Drenth-van Maanen, A. C., Wilting, I., & Jansen, P. A. F. (2020). Prescribing medicines to older people—How to consider the impact of ageing on human organ and body functions. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 86(10), 1921–1930. https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.14094
Guo, L., Ma, J., Tang, J., Hu, D., Zhang, W., & Zhao, X. (2019). Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Metformin, Glyburide, and Insulin in Treating Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Diabetes Research, 2019, 9804708. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/9804708
Koren, G., Nordon, G., Radinsky, K., & Shalev, V. (2019). Clinical pharmacology of old age. Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 12(8), 749–755. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512433.2019.1632188
Kratz, T., & Diefenbacher, A. (2019). Psychopharmacological Treatment in Older People. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, 116(29–30), 508–518. https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.2019.0508
Peeters, L. E. J., Kester, M. P., Feyz, L., Van Den Bemt, P. M. L. A., Koch, B. C. P., Van Gelder, T., & Versmissen, J. (2019). Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic considerations in the treatment of the elderly patient with hypertension. Expert Opinion on Drug Metabolism & Toxicology, 15(4), 287–297. https://doi.org/10.1080/17425255.2019.1588249
Stader, F., Kinvig, H., Penny, M. A., Battegay, M., Siccardi, M., & Marzolini, C. (2020). Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modelling to Identify Pharmacokinetic Parameters Driving Drug Exposure Changes in the Elderly. Clinical Pharmacokinetics, 59(3), 383–401. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40262-019-00822-9
Thürmann, P. A. (2020). Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics in older adults. Current Opinion in Anesthesiology, 33(1), 109. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACO.0000000000000814
Pharmacotherapy
Nurses have the critical role of ensuring that safety and quality is promoted in the provision of healthcare services. They ensure that the rights of the patients are protected in caring for them. They also advocate for the provision of safe environments that promote the health and wellbeing of the patients. Nurses also promote safety by ensuring that patients receive the right drug, at the right time, through the right route, and dosage.
In doing this, they utilize their knowledge in pharmacokinetics and pharmacotherapeutics. They also explore the factors that influence drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacotherapeutics. Therefore, this research paper explores the influence of gender on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacokinetics of a drug.
The selected factor that influences the pharmacokinetics and pharmacotherapy of drugs prescribed to the patient in the assigned case study is gender. Gender refers to the expression of one’s function using masculinity and femininity. There exist significant differences in the response of men and women to drugs. For instance, women are highly at a risk of being overdosed when compared to men. This is attributed to factors such as their high level of sensitivity to drugs alongside the behavior of women in relation to drug use (Tamargo et al., 2017). Women also have a small volume distribution, high free drug fraction, and low drug clearance when compared to the men.
The rate of drug absorption is also different in males and females. For instance, women receive a wide range of drug dosages through the transdermal route due to their large subcutaneous lipid content than men are. The absorption of drugs such as rifampicin is also higher in men than in women. The rate of drug metabolism is also generally higher in women than in men. This is attributed to factors that include the high levels of CYP3A isoenzymes that increase first pass metabolism of drugs that are administered orally.
However, the rate of drug absorption is high in men than in women. The difference is attributed to the fact that the mean transit time of drugs in men is shorter in men than in women. There is also a significant difference in the pharmacodynamics of drugs between men and women. The difference arises from the high sensitivity to cortisol suppression in women than in men. Women are also vulnerable to the effects of helper T lymphocytes and basophils (Graziani & Nisticò, 2015). Therefore, these factors contribute to the differences in pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics in men and women.
The changes in the processes of a patient have an impact on the recommended drug therapy. A change in the processes will imply that the pharmacodynamics and pharmacotherapeutics of are altered. For instance, a change in renal elimination will affect renal clearance of drugs. This will result in a change in the drug regime since drugs that are eliminated by other routes such as liver and feces have to be prescribed to the patient. A change in the processes will also increase the risk of toxicity and drug-related interactions (Rodieux et al., 2015). Consequently, it increases the need for a revision of the recommended drug therapy.
Several interventions can be embraced to improve the patient’s drug therapy. One of them is obtaining comprehensive history from the patient. This will eliminate incidences of adverse reactions to drugs due to history of drug sensitivities. The other intervention is through educating the patient about the importance of the drug, its interactions, side effects, and adverse effects to report should they occur. Educating them increases their level of understanding, hence, adherence to medications.
The last intervention is prioritizing the rights and principles of safe prescribing and drug use in healthcare. The administration of drugs should ensure that the drug is given to the right patient, through the right route, dosage, and time (Costa et al., 2015). Therefore, I will make these recommendations to ensure safety in drug use, hence, health and wellbeing of the patients.
In summary, gender influences the pharmacokinetics and pharmacotherapy of drugs prescribed to the patient in the case study. Women are likely to be affected by drug-related toxicities than men due to their high level of sensitivity to drugs. A change in processes such as renal elimination alters the prescribed regime of a given drug. Therefore, nurses should aim at adopting interventions that increase the effectiveness of drug therapy.
References
Costa, E., Giardini, A., Savin, M., Menditto, E., Lehane, E., Laosa, O., … & Marengoni, A. (2015). Interventional tools to improve medication adherence: review of literature. Patient preference and adherence, 9, 1303.
Graziani, M., & Nisticò, R. (2015). Gender differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of methadone substitution therapy. Frontiers in pharmacology, 6, 122.
Rodieux, F., Wilbaux, M., van den Anker, J. N., & Pfister, M. (2015). Effect of kidney function on drug kinetics and dosing in neonates, infants, and children. Clinical pharmacokinetics, 54(12), 1183-1204.
Tamargo, J., Rosano, G., Walther, T., Duarte, J., Niessner, A., Kaski, J. C., … & Torp-Pedersen, C. (2017). Gender differences in the effects of cardiovascular drugs. European Heart Journal–Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy, 3(3), 163-182.
…heart disease remains the No. 1 killer in America; nearly half of all Americans have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or smoke—some of the leading risk factors for heart disease…
—Murphy et al., 2018
Despite the high mortality rates associated with cardiovascular disorders, improved treatment options do exist that can help address those risk factors that afflict the majority of the population today.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF
As an advanced practice nurse, it is your responsibility to recommend appropriate treatment options for patients with cardiovascular disorders. To ensure the safety and effectiveness of drug therapy, advanced practice nurses must consider aspects that might influence pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes such as medical history, other drugs currently prescribed, and individual patient factors.
Reference: Murphy, S. L., Xu, J., Kochanek, K. D., & Arias, E. (2018). Mortality in the United States, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db328.htm
To Prepare
Review the Resources for this module and consider the impact of potential pharmacotherapeutics for cardiovascular disorders introduced in the media piece.
Review the case study assigned by your Instructor for this Assignment.
Select one the following factors: genetics, gender, ethnicity, age, or behavior factors.
Reflect on how the factor you selected might influence the patient’s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes.
Consider how changes in the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes might impact the patient’s recommended drug therapy.
Think about how you might improve the patient’s drug therapy plan based on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes. Reflect on whether you would modify the current drug treatment or provide an alternative treatment option for the patient.
By Day 7 of Week 2
Write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:
Explain how the factor you selected might influence the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes in the patient from the case study you were assigned.
Describe how changes in the processes might impact the patient’s recommended drug therapy. Be specific and provide examples.
Explain how you might improve the patient’s drug therapy plan and explain why you would make these recommended improvements.
Pharmacokinetics refers to the processes a medication undergoes in the body following administration. This includes all aspects of metabolism, excretion, distribution and absorption. On the other side, pharmacodynamics examines how medications affect the body, including any negative effects. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are influenced by a patient’s medical history, ethnicity, behavioral factors, concurrent drugs, genetics, behavioral factors, medical history, gender and age, among other variables. From the case study we will identify how these factors, especially age, do influence both pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics processes. (Rosenthal. & Burchum, 2018).
Age influencing pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics
The patient’s advanced age of 89 years old, does indeed have an impact on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the medication. As a woman ages, her physiology changes, which has an impact on pharmacokinetics and factors like absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Among the most distinguishing outcomes of being older is having a lower glomeruli filtration rate, which controls how much medication is eliminated. Due to this decrease, the drug might remaining within the body longer and can lead to toxicity (Thuermann, 2020).
Additionally, gastrointestinal motility declines with increased age, delaying absorption rate. As a result, the pharmacological effects of the medications take longer to occur thus decreasing their efficacy. The medicine doesn’t exert its full potential because the peak levels of drug concentration get impacted due to this (Peeters et al., 2019).
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