Question

Difficulty: EasyCardiovascular System

Pair each frequently prescribed cardiovascular medication with its most characteristic adverse effect profile.

  • LisinoprilDry cough and angioedema
  • AmlodipineDose-dependent peripheral edema
  • VerapamilConstipation and bradycardia
  • SpironolactoneGynecomastia and hyperkalemia

Answer

Lisinopril matches with dry cough and angioedema; amlodipine with dose-dependent peripheral edema; verapamil with constipation and bradycardia; and spironolactone with gynecomastia and hyperkalemia.
Each cardiovascular drug belongs to a distinct class that produces predictable adverse effects based on its specific mechanism of action, such as bradykinin accumulation with ACE inhibitors or androgen antagonism with spironolactone.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the pharmacological class of each medication.
Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor, amlodipine is a dihydropyridine CCB, verapamil is a non-dihydropyridine CCB, and spironolactone is an aldosterone antagonist.
Knowing the drug class is essential to predicting its physiological effects and off-target toxicities.
2
Correlate each medication class with its distinct mechanism of action and side effect profile.
Bradykinin accumulation (Lisinopril), precapillary vasodilation (Amlodipine), smooth muscle/AV node suppression (Verapamil), and androgen receptor antagonism (Spironolactone) explain the respective adverse effects.
Connecting pathophysiology to the specific adverse effect ensures accurate matching.

Key Concept

Adverse effects of cardiovascular pharmacotherapy
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