ARBs – NCLEX Review (Nursing)

00:01 Angiotensin II receptor blockers also work in the RAAS.

00:05 Hey, look at the name. Angiotensin II receptor blocking agent.

00:11 That's why we call them ARBs. That means this is an antagonist.

00:15 This is a drug that's gonna block angiotensin II receptors.

00:20 Ah, okay, so angiotensin II is the last end product of the RAAS so if I have a medication on the receptors, angiotensin II's gonna be there but it can't connect to the receptors. So do you have renin? Yes.

00:37 Do you have angiotensinogen? Yes.

00:39 Do you have angiotensin I? Yes.

00:43 Do you have ACE? Yes.

00:45 Do you have angiotensin II? Yeah.

00:47 So what's the deal? How does this work? Well, sadly, angiotensin II is all dressed up with no place to go cuz we have it, same amount, but if it can't bind to an angiotensin II receptor, it's not gonna have the effect that raises blood pressure.

01:07 So patients on ARBs we use it to treat hypertension because you're gonna have less vasoconstriction and volume expansion.

01:16 You have angiotensin II but it is all dressed up and no place to go.

01:22 Now, side effects also have angioedema.

01:25 You have a lower risk of cough and an increase in serum potassium.

01:29 So the patient on ACE has a cough. We might try this.

01:32 If he has angioedema on an ACE, we're definitely not gonna try an ARB as a next option this might also be a good choice. So why don't we start with this? Well, you can imagine.

01:41 They're a little more expensive that's why we usually start with an ACE inhibitor.