Haemodynamic effects of antihypertensive agents in man

The haemodynamic effects of drugs affecting the neutral control of blood pressure in humans can be considered from various standpoints. A long list could be produced of antihypertensive agents acting wholly or partly through the sympathetic nervous system. It would include some drugs not formerly recognized as being in this category (e.g. the diuretics and perhaps even the calcium antagonists). Such drugs cause changes in the peripheral circulation and in the neuromodulation of hormones (such as renin and antidiuretic hormone) which are important in the control of blood pressure and blood volume. The relationship between the clinical effects of these drugs in man and their modes and sites of action in animals is also a matter of considerable interest. This paper, however, concentrates on the effects of antihypertensive drugs on neural cardiovascular regulation and blood pressure homoeostasis.