19

CHAPTER

347

Cardiac Circulatory

Medications

The cardiovascular system is the highway within the body that distributes oxygen,

nutrients and hormones and transports waste products, such as carbon dioxide,

so they can be removed from the body.

When this highway falters the flow of traffic slows down, sometimes coming

to a complete stop, backing up other systems of the body, and ultimately caus-

ing death to tissues and organs.

Fortunately, there are medications that can be taken to treat and prevent car-

diovascular disorders. In this chapter, you’ll learn about drugs that affect the

heart and drugs that keep the vascular system humming.

A Brief Look at the Cardiovascular System

The cardiovascular system includes the heart, blood vessels (arteries and veins),

and blood. Blood rich in oxygen, nutrients, and hormones moves through ves-

sels called arteries that narrow to arterioles. Capillaries transport oxygenated

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