Introduction to Pharmacology for Physical Therapy Treatment. II. Effects of Cardiovascular Drugs on Therapeutic Exercise

Abstract

Patients receiving pharmacotherapy frequently perform physical therapy simultaneously, and the effects of both therapies correlate each other, not maintain independent functions. In this second part, the effect of cardiovascular drugs on exercise responses was reviewed. A number of cardiovascular drugs administered to the patients with angina pectoris, hypertension, arrhythmia, and heart failure may have various effects on changes in cardiovascular function of the patients during therapeutic exercise. This review described the pharmacological actions of β blocking agents, nitrites, calcium antagonists, inhibitor of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, α1 antagonists, α2 agonists, and cardiac glycosides, and introduced their effects on therapeutic exercise responses. © 1997, The Society of Physical Therapy Science. All rights reserved.