Propranolol as an Adrenergic Agonist Medication

Propanolol
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Propranolol
Indications
Propranolol has many indications, including cardiovascular and extra-cardiovascular diseases. To treat cardiovascular diseases, physicians prescribe this drug to combat atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and infantile hemangioma. The drug also has the most significant advantage in reducing the overall mortality of heart failure patients and morbidity in patients with hypertension with comorbid conditions such as a recent or history of a heart attack, heart failure, or angina pectoris (Shahrokhi & Gupta, 2021).
It can also be used to treat diseases of other systems such as the endocrine and both the central and peripheral nervous systems. In the endocrine system, this can be used to treat hyperthyroid-induced thyrotoxicosis. This can also be an adjunct to treating tremors caused by lesions in the central nervous system and restless leg syndrome, which is considered peripheral neuropathy (Shahrokhi & Gupta, 2021; Anderson et al., 2017).
Mechanism of Action
The drug acts against both beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic receptors. The former can be found in the heart, kidney, and fat cells. It functions to heighten the sympathetic nervous system’s response by increasing intracellular calcium and producing adenosine triphosphate. In the heart, this results in an increase in cardiac contractility, which diminishes the heart’s demand for oxygen and other prerequisite molecules for myocardiocytes to function (Shahrokhi & Gupta, 2021; Alhayek & Preuss, 2021).
Conversely, most of the beta-2 receptors can be found in the smooth muscles of the lung airways (Abosamak & Shahin, 2021). It can also be found in the smooth muscles of the uterus, the cardiac and skeletal muscles, mast cells, eosinophils, and others. Its stimulation heightens the response of protein kinase A through the stimulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). It leads to the constriction of the smooth muscles in the lungs and the dilatation of the cardiac smooth muscles. Hence, the actions of propranolol are the opposite of the functions of the beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic receptors in the said organs because it blocks their functions (Shahrokhi & Gupta, 2021).
Adverse Effects and Monitoring
Its adverse effects include decreased cardiac rate, bronchospasm, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and erectile dysfunction (Shahrokhi & Gupta, 2021). Therefore, healthcare providers should closely monitor the cardiac rate and any changes in the rhythm when doing vital signs. It is also important to note the average values of the vitals per population or age. Additionally, careful history taking should be done because bronchospasm can exacerbate asthma and other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, and difficulty maintaining an erection during sexual...