Sympatholytic agents

Abstract

Sympatholytic drugs are agents that decrease the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). This is accomplished via a variety of mechanisms that most commonly include adrenergic receptor blockade (e.g., a and β adrenergic receptor antagonism) as well as specific receptor agonism (i.e., a2 adrenergic receptor agonism) (1). The SNS signal, however, may be blocked in other ways (e.g., peripheral ganglionic blockade) (2).