Question

The patient is receiving doxazosin (Cardura) for hypertension. He asks the nurse how the medication works. What is the nurse's best response?

1. "It works by causing your kidneys to excrete more urine."
2. "It works by making your heart work more efficiently."
3. "It works by making your blood vessels expand."
4. "It works by decreasing the release of your stress hormones."

Answer 1

Doxazosin (Cardura) works by making the patient's blood vessels expand, resulting in lower blood pressure.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse's best response to the patient's question about how doxazosin (Cardura) works for hypertension would be:

3. "It works by making your blood vessels expand."

Doxazosin is an alpha-1 blocker that relaxes and widens the blood vessels, allowing for easier blood flow and lowering blood pressure. By blocking alpha-1 receptors in the smooth muscle of blood vessels, it prevents the hormone norepinephrine from constricting the blood vessels, resulting in vasodilation. This reduces the resistance to blood flow and decreases blood pressure.